Dragon Soul 2: Guardians
by EchowolfS
Summary: Not even a month has passed from the battle of Eraklyon. Magix is once again at peace, or so it seems. A dark force is building strength, and Bloom is feeling its pull. Along with her friends, she must find the surviving Guardian Dragons and gain their power to rival a new evil that threatens to put everything in darkness.
1. Inferno Bloom

And it begins again! Sorry to those who have read the first part of Dragon Soul. I know it was a bit of a long break, but hey, it's back! To those who simply decided to check this story out… THIS IS NOT THE FIRST PART. Seriously, the reason why the first part was so long and drawn out is because there was so much background info to help the more exciting parts of the story flow. So if you are thinking you can get away with starting now… good luck, because even I would be lost without back tracking to the beginning. So seriously, at least look over part one so you have some idea of who new characters are and what's going on.

Inferno Bloom

Bloom's Pov

I looked out across the clouds which were painted pink from the dawn's light. Probably the best thing about the Sky palace was the view. I was leaning on the balcony railing, just thinking about how much had happened, and how busy I am going to be.

Less than a month after the end of Eraklyon's civil war, the dragon rulers announced to all of the kingdoms that they wish to rejoin the ranks of the Magix leaders. They were adamant to have their say and although hesitantly, the rulers of the realms accepted. There was just one problem though.

The fourth dragon ruler hasn't been crowned. Enti, Terran, and Abyss all agreed that I should be the go between for humans and dragons, but there was a problem making a crown for me, and when to actually crown me. Most dragons just had their crowns in the form of necklaces or some other easily wearable jewelry, and Enti even told me that his father had his crown imbedded in his chest scales. I defiantly did not want a crown in my chest, and a necklace as a crown seemed weird, so Enti suggested that they simply surprise me.

Eventually, the three dragons decided to crown me during the first ever meeting of the human and dragon rulers and that they would hire a human to make a crown for me instead of a dragon. I was excited to help out the dragons, but getting crowned in front of every royal in all of Magix has my nerves on edge.

I was given a few days off from Alfea for the meeting. The winx and specialists were all going to be there as well since the girls and I have become the protectors of Magix, and the guys are their plus one. It was nice knowing they were going to be there, but it was still nerve wracking.

"Good morning, Bloom. Did you sleep well?" I heard Cloud call from my door.

"No. I've been up since dawn." I answered, walking over to the door that led to my room.

To prepare for the crowning, I have been staying in the Sky palace, where the meeting and the crowning is going to take place. Some of the other rulers are also staying in the rooms of the palace since they might not make it in time if they simply headed out the morning of.

"You should have been at least resting!" She scolded. "Now come. We need to start getting you ready. Have you chosen a dress?"

I greeted her with a hug at the doorway of the balcony and we walked to my massive closet.

"Kind of. The girls are going to help me get ready, and I'm gonna ask their opinion on what dress I should wear." I picked up two beautiful dresses that I chose the night before.

The closest I could describe these dresses to someone over the phone is Grecian in style but very strong and draconic in decoration. One was a fiery red with dragon scale patterns and golden accents. It came with a golden cape and dark red heels that fit me perfectly. The second one was blue for the most part, but the front was covered with red scale patterns. It came with an aqua cape and red, heeled boots.

Both dresses were simple enough but not very modern. So I am a bit worried Stella might try and change one of them to be a bit flashier and with the time, but I loved the soft fabric and how it fit my body snuggly. I also really want to show gratitude to the dragons, especially Enti, for all of their gifts, and I think wearing one of their dresses would help.

"I prefer the blue, but the red is nice as well. Both are lovely though, and either would fit you well." Cloud commented.

"I agree, but the red one is more… I don't know, dragony? I really want to look good for their sake, not just my own."

"Bloom," Cloud placed one of her many paws on my cheek. "You have already made us prouder than you could ever imagine. You saved Eraklyon, you are the reincarnation of the Great Dragon herself, and you have proven that you are willing to sacrifice everything to keep not just humans, but dragons safe."

I flinched at the reincarnation part. It was weird knowing that I was so important in my last life, but I didn't want that to define me. I don't want to be the shadow of Inferno.

"When will your friends be arriving?" She asked, noticing my change in mood.

"Any minute now." I answered. "Can you send some feys to their room? I don't want them to get lost on their way here."

Cloud nodded and a low rumble escaped her throat. Leaf and Monarch, my personal feys, zipped out of a hole in the wall. I walked in deeper to my closet as Cloud told them what to do. I once again looked over the gorgeous, yet simple dresses, checking to see if I had skipped over one and would prefer to wear it.

I try not to think about the fact that everything in here fits me perfectly, but it always finds its way into the back of my mind. _How could someone make all of these dresses that would fit me so perfectly? Did someone know that I would have this room and wear these things?_ I sighed as I opened a small box at the back of the closet. Hundreds of gorgeous gold and silver jewelry caught the light and shone brightly from the box.

"Is there anything from there you wish to wear?" Cloud asked, making me jump. I hadn't realized she followed me.

"I was thinking about these." I pulled out three things and presented them to her.

The first one was a bracelet with yellow and orange jewels carefully woven into the bronze net that formed the bracelet. The second was a silver ring with a blue jewel set in the middle and smaller pearls surrounded it. The last piece was a golden necklace that had many smaller chains along it, and at the end of each chain was a single ruby.

"All of these are beautiful, but none of them match." Cloud said.

"I know, but I want to wear something that kind of symbolizes each of the dragon kingdoms. The bracelet for land, the ring for sea, and the necklace for sky." I closed my fingers around the items and held them to my chest.

"What a beautiful idea." Cloud breathed, I could see her eyes mist up. "Rubies are the Sky kingdom's signature gem, the ring has pearls, which are the Sea kingdom's gem, and one of the jewels in the bracelet is the yellow jade, and jades are the Earth kingdom's gem."

"Then I guess that's settled then." I hugged her neck and we walked back into my room.

"Each room is better than the next!" I could recognize Stella's voice anywhere.

Cloud and I stepped out of the closet to greet my friends, who were all looking their best in dresses that were undoubtedly designed by Stella.

All of them ran over to hug me, but Stella suddenly let out a gasp and stopped. "Bloom, what are you doing?!"

"Uhh, trying to greet my friends?" I replied, a bit confused.

"Seriously?! This is probably gonna be one of the biggest days of your life and you aren't even nearly ready!" Oh, of course she's upset about that. "Don't worry, I've got the perfect dress for you-"

"Wait!" I held up my hands just as she was about to poof a dress on me. "I'm not going to wear one of your dresses this time."

"What?" She honestly looked shocked.

"I'm sorry, but I am going to wear one of the dresses Enti gave me along with this room." I explained. "I want to show that I really appreciate and will use his gifts."

"That's a nice thing to do." Flora finally spoke up and elbowed Stella. "Right, Stella?"

"Yeah, it is." She looked pretty hurt, and I felt bad, but nothing was going to change my mind about this.

"So, if you've already chosen your dress, why did you want help getting ready?" Aisha asked.

"Because Enti's dresses are too nice. I've narrowed down the choices to two, but I can't decide what to wear." I motioned to the two dresses hanging on my bed.

Stella jumped forwards and grabbed the dresses, carefully inspecting each one. "I think it should be the blue one!" She announced, holding it up for the others.

"I agree." Musa nodded. "Blue has always been your color, and then red one will just fade into your hair."

The others laughed in agreement.

"Thanks, now let's think up a good hair do and some make up that will look nice with this." I smiled, taking the dress from Stella and walking towards the closet to get changed.

After a few moments of fumbling with the dress, I managed to get it on. When I left the closet, I noticed the girls were all helping braid Cloud's hair.

"This is gonna take forever!" Stella complained.

"You don't have to do it!" Cloud looked a bit irritated.

"Are you kidding? It looked great the way it was, but this is just the icing on the cake!" Aisha laughed. "Besides, I passed several dragons with some pretty jewels and armor on, so don't you dare tell me dragons don't dress up for events."

"Need a hand?" I asked, settling down next to Tecna and starting to section off some of Cloud's soft mane.

"You don't need to…" Cloud muttered softly.

"Cloud, you were determined to help me look my best, so let me help you look your best." I smiled at her.

It took about thirty minutes to braid her mane from head to tail, but it was worth it. I never even noticed the golden scales that were hidden under her free flowing hair until now.

"Okay, you're finished. Now we only have a little while until your chosen guards will come to escort you to the crowning!" Cloud huffed, but I could see that she was pleased with her new look.

"Oh geez, time really got away from us." A new worry found its way into my mind along with all of the others.

"Oh, please," Stella laughed. "Give me two seconds and you will look perfect!"

With a snap of her fingers, a wisp of magic surrounded me. It dissipated after only two or three seconds, but I knew it had done its job. Looking into the mirror, I let out a small gasp.

"You look amazing." Flora breathed as the others also admired Stella's handiwork.

My eye shadow wasn't just one color, but a small rainbow that caused my eyes to pop better than ever, and she chose a light pink color for my lips. My hair was still down with no clips or decorations, but was curled elegantly.

"Oh, Stella…" I whispered, taken aback by what she had done.

"You're not going to be a princess anymore, Bloom, so I thought I should step it up a bit." She smiled proudly.

There was a quiet knock on my door and I knew it was almost time. Cloud agreed to escort my friends to the Great Hall while I prepared to walk with my guard. I waved my goodbyes and took a deep breath. Once again, I was going to take a trip with these dragons. The one's who have saved my life, taught me lessons, and a very special dragon who was even willing to take me in when I was lost.

Thanatos, Mink, Peril, Frozen Gale, Fritz, and Cerberus. Six dragons who repeatedly risked their lives for her and helped her through the dragon world. There were so many other dragons she wanted to walk with on this day, but six was already twice the normal amount of guard members.

They lined up in the order they rehearsed, and began to walk to the entrance of the Great hall. All of the winged dragons held out their wings, guarding her from the outside.

" _Here we go." Peril announced._

Music began to play in the Great hall, signaling us to enter. Two dragon guards pushed open the doors and the music came to a head. I let out a shaky breath and held my head high.

As we continued to walk down the Great hall to the dragon thrones, I could feel my confidence grow. Only when we reach the thrones will my guard raise their wings and reveal the new Dragon Ruler. To all of Magix. A human… Who was going to rule with dragons… What am I getting myself into?

As we continued to walk down the Great hall to the dragon thrones, I could feel my confidence grow. Only when we reach the thrones will my guard raise their wings and reveal the new Dragon Ruler. To all of Magix. A human… Who was going to rule with dragons… What am I getting myself into?

It was _way_ too late to turn back now, and before I knew it, the wall of wings around me rose up and disappeared as they continued their march around the room. I was alone now, standing in front of a crowd of both humans and dragons.

Abyss, Terran, and Enti all looked down on her with stony faces. Regal, and unyielding. A true testament of their control, and even if no one knew them, their stance alone would tell of their royal blood. Enti stepped forwards.

"Friends, both former and new have come here today in the palace of the Great Dragon to celebrate a most joyous occasion. Only once before has a fourth leader come before the dragon leaders, and never before has a human been crowned. Today, this fact changes, as a young human has earned her rule with not just one of us, but all dragon kind."

He opened his wings and raised them high. Golden chains decorated his blood red scales and they clinked together at the sudden movement. Abyss stepped forwards now.

"Hundreds of years have passed since a fourth ruler was chosen, and because of that, the dragon rulers have fallen into the shadows. But no more. Today, we shall rejoin the ranks of Magix. We shall have our voices heard and guard our realm along with our fellow living creatures."

She extended her fins as far as they could go, letting the pearls between her scales catch the light.

Finally, Terran slowly made his way forwards, only stopping until he as a few feet away from me.

"Bloom, do you promise to serve and be the voice of the dragons of Magix?" He asked.

"I do."

"Do you swear by your name that you shall stand for what is right and do all you can for the dragons of Magix?"

"I do."

"Do you, Bloom of Domino, promise that you shall speak loudly, fight valiantly, and even give your life to ensure that not only will the dragons of Magix, but all living things are defended and given all of the opportunities of life?"

The moment has arrived. I turned to the audience and knelt down, gazing out over all of the people in the hall. Dragon and human alike. "I swear on the flame within me, gifted by the Great Dragon alone, that I shall hold a crown not for myself, but for my subjects. To shine a light in the dark, the give hope in doubt, to be the shield that defends them from all that wishes them harm. I swear to you, that everything I do shall be for the good of all."

I bowed deeply, touching my head to the floor.

"It is with great privilege that I name you, Bloom of Domino, daughter of Marion and Oritel of Domino, chosen of the Great Dragon," He paused as I lifted my head.

I felt the Crown of Dragons fall over my head and rest lightly on my shoulders. _A necklace. My crown is a necklace._

"Inferno Bloom!"


	2. New Quest

I know I normally don't respond to reviews and such, but that changes today! I want to have a better dialogue with you guys so I can get better as a writer.

Lovebooks200426- thanks and the next chapter is in the works now!

Balance2000- I'm flattered you called this a book. And thanks for hanging in there through the break!

* * *

New Quest

Bloom's Pov

I took my place among the dragon rulers as the royal guests came up to give their congratulations. I thanked them for coming and tried my best to make them feel at ease with the dragons.

Of all the rulers, Enti was the most stereotypically dragon like. Red, had wicked horns and spines, and leathery wings… He was the walking definition of a dragon. Abyss wasn't helping much either. She was the least intimidating by looks alone. Blue with soft, curved fins and a delicate face, but her body language was even throwing me. Her eggs had hatched not long ago, so she was rightfully restless, but I had assumed knowing her mate, Tsunami, would be with them would help. Terran was the only dragon who seemed to make a good impression with his looks and his words. He looked exactly like what he was. An old as dirt dragon who seemed to be happy about anything. He gladly spoke and laughed with the guests and effortlessly got along well with anyone who came up.

" _Enti, Abyss." I finally snapped at them. "Don't look so uptight! Actually act like you're happy to meet these people."_

Enti actually laughed out loud, surprising us all. _"You are already pushing us around, eh? You are right though, I am sorry."_

Instead of sitting, he chose to lie on his side. He can't change his scales, but he could change his posture to seem more relaxed. Abyss said nothing, but she visibly softened her gaze and apologized to the king and queen in front of us, explaining that she is anxious to return to her hatchlings.

There was one royal family I wasn't exactly happy to see because of who would be coming with them. When they finally reached the thrones, I smiled and happily greeted all of them.

"King Erendor, Queen Samara, Crown Prince Sky, welcome to the Sky Palace. This is King Enti, Queen Abyss, and King Terran." I introduced the dragons in turn.

"Welcome," Terran bowed his head. He opened his mouth to continue, but someone cleared their throat.

I glanced at Diaspro, who was standing right next to Samara. "Oh, my apologies. This is Diaspro, their…" I trailed off, unsure of her title.

"I am a friend of the Royal Family." Diaspro stepped forwards, smugly looking down her nose at the old king.

Enti easily caught wind of her hostility to Terran and Snorted with disdain. "Really? If you are not a part of the royal family, then why have you come to make our acquaintance?" He challenged.

"I am a princess on Eraklyon. I am the daughter of a powerful family. I was invited here today because I am a close friend of the crown." Diaspro frowned.

"Well then, close friend of the crown," Abyss began. "You may have been invited here, but you were never invited to interrupt one of us in our palace. Please, allow the big rulers to talk."

Diaspro was speechless, and so was anyone in earshot. "I- Please forgive me. I shall take my leave."

Diaspro turned to walk away, but Abyss got her again. "It is rude to turn your back while your host is speaking to you." She called her back. "You came with them, so you should stay with them."

Diaspro was still beat red by the time they left the thrones. My family was next, and last, in line. I gladly accepted the hug Daphne gave me.

"Bloom, I am so proud of you." Mom placed a hand on my shoulder. I blinked away the tear in my eye.

I stepped back to introduce my family to the dragons. "King Oritel, Queen Marion, Crown princess Daphne, and the crown princess's husband, Thoren, welcome to the Sky palace. This is King Enti, Queen Abyss, and King Terran."

"Rulers of Domino, it is an honor to finally meet you." Terran dipped his head.

"It is an honor to meet the three of you. Bloom has told us all about how you helped her survive your world of dragons. I can't thank you enough for helping our daughter." Dad bowed to the three dragons.

"It was our pleasure. She was a joy to have in our homes." Enti gave then a toothy, dragon smile.

Finally, the introductions were over, and the real celebration began.

Graswhistle and a few other dragons and wyverns began to sing songs and dance around the room. This wasn't just my crowning, it was an opportunity to show the rulers that dragons aren't too bad and that they can appreciate music and fun as well.

Grasswhistle was trying her hardest to get some humans to join in, but no one was taking. Finally, she began to sing a couples song. Enti, seeing that everyone was nervous, stepped forwards, beckoning to his mate, ShadowFlame.

The two crossed the dancefloor and bowed to each other. Grass whistle, seeing the two, restarted the song. Enti stepped forwards and began the dance. It began slowly, the two mates gently touching wings and walking around, as if admiring, each other. As the song began to pick up, they began to playfully poke and prod each other. Happily skipping around the dance floor. As the song reached the climax, they stood up and spun on their back legs three times, and then collapsed to the ground, happily laughing to each other.

The room was filled with laughter as the two dragons stood up and returned to the throne. Suddenly, I had an idea.

"Pardon me," I bowed to Terran and Abyss, and hurried towards Sky. When I reached him, I grabbed his arm and called out to Grasswhistle. She apparently knew what I was planning, and restarted the song.

"What are we doing?" Sky whispered as I pulled him to the middle of the floor.

"We're gonna dance like dragons." I smiled. "Follow my lead."

I began to repeat everything Enti and Shadow did to the best of my memory, and Sky quickly caught on and followed. We danced around the room, laughing when we began to poke each other, and slowly, others began to join. I was happy to see that my friends and the Specialists were the first to join, along with Daphne and Thoren, and then my parents.

As the song came to a close, again, Enti and Shadow joined the floor again. Peril and Quake stepped up as well and began to show us humans how to dance to certain songs. People began to laugh and talk to the dragons. Catching Terran's eye, I gave him a smile.

" _Good job."_

Every ounce of worry that I still had melted as he praised me. Ever since the crowning was announced, I continued to worry about how I could be the go-between of the two groups. Seeing everyone now, having a good time, was a big relief.

Sky and I danced around each other until we both needed a break. The dragon's dancing style was very fast paced and energetic. Always moving. Sky pulled me to the side and we watched as people began to pull away, also exhausted. The girls pulled away as well and came over.

"Bloom, this was a great idea!" Musa praised, "Music and dancing is a great way to get people to relax."

"Enti gave me the idea." I admitted. "When he and Shadow danced, it reminded me of how we humans danced."

"Well, it was a great idea none the less!" Aisha smiled.

The rest of the day went relatively well. Everyone got along, Diaspro was so embarrassed that she stayed away from me for the rest of the night, and all of the Rulers of Magix were now more than willing to accept the dragons into their ranks.

As everyone began to leave, the dragons put on one last display. Several hundred dragons surrounded the palace and performed flips and tricks in the air. Each species showed off their flying and fire skills. It was like watching fireworks.

After the last guest left, only the Winx, specialists, and I remained in the palace entryway.

"So, now what?" Nex grinned.

"For now, let's head to the library." I began, slowly. "It's way past time that we begin our latest adventure."

When we reached the library, I lead my friends to a table in the very center of the library. Each of us took a seat and exchanged glances with one another.

"So, a new quest, huh?" Brandon began. "What's it about."

I forgot that I never told the boys what Eraklyon said to me. "We need to find the six living Guardian dragons. Eraklyon said that they guard the oldest planets in Magix, but that's all I know about them."

Tecna and Timmy both pulled out their phones and began to search for information.

"What do we do when we find them?" Helia asked.

"We need to collect the dragon orbs from them. Then, we will have enough power to defeat the dark force Eraklyon warned me about." I explained.

"Guys, we might have a bit of a problem." Tecna began. She pulled up a map of Magix. "Okay, I've highlighted the planets that are the oldest in terms of their creation in yellow. The ones that have the oldest traces of magic are pink. The ones with the oldest traces of life are green. Also, there are many conflicting sources that debate which planets are actually the oldest because all of the planets seem to have been formed in the same time period. The yellow ones are the ones that most sources agree on."

"… Okay then," I thought for a moment. "Maybe there's something in this library that can help."

"Well, it's worth a shot." Aisha said.

So, the eleven of us set to work. Since none of my friends could read Draconic, I called in some fey dragons to help. After hours of searching, everyone was exhausted, and we found nothing remotely useful.

"Well, that was fun." Stella plopped down on her chair.

"I was really hoping that there would at least be something on the Guardian dragons in here." I sighed.

We sat in silence for a few moments, all trying to think of what to do next.

"Wait a second," Flora jumped up. "If we can't find anything on Guardians here, why don't we ask one of the Guardian Dragons we do know about?"

I suddenly felt incredibly awkward. _Why didn't I think of that?_

"Eraklyon is off helping to hunt down the remaining fragments of the Rebellion, so we can't ask him, so what about Sola and Nyemaane?" Sky asked.

"They might be able to help." I began. "Also, I think we can get to their temple without the risk of going snowblind."

Everyone exchanged a worried glance. Ever since my sight returned, they refrained from talking about it. Being blind wasn't too taboo to me. I had to live with it for months and eventually just got used to it. Everyone else acted like it was the end of the world even bringing it up around me.

Finally, Stella spoke up. "How so?"

"We can try the portal room. I'm sure that I could have used it before to get to Glacial, but the dragons didn't see a reason to send me there."

"Well, I'm sure we can do that tomorrow. It's already super late and none of us are exactly alert at the moment." Aisha said with a yawn.

Her yawn set off a chain reaction, and the rest of us began to yawn as well.

"You're right. Let's go hit the hay so we can get an early start tomorrow." Sky stretched his arms and headed for the door.

Everyone began to follow, except for me. Musa noticed and called out to me. "Bloom, are you coming?"

"I will, I just want to check something first." I explained, heading deeper into the library.

Once everyone was gone, I headed to the portal room. Before anything else, I wanted to check and see if we could get to Sola and Nyemaane's temple.

Pulling up the map, I touched Glacial and thought of the temple. I never got a good look at the temple just using the Dragon eye, so I focused on what I did remember. The winding trails under the ice, Fritz leading the way, the great door to the temple… and the silver dragon.

It felt like forever ago when I last dreamt of her. I could still remember her voice perfectly and the shiver that ran down my spine whenever I heard it. I would give anything to meet her in real life. Sadly, I will probably never get to talk to her in the real world. Encased in ice under a mountain, the silver dragon continued to sleep not far from Sola and Nyemaane's temple.

The map responded to me and a portal opened nearby. Looking through, I saw familiar walls incased in ice. Satisfied that the portal would take us where we needed to go, I closed it and returned to my room.

As I was getting ready for bed, I decided then that once I had defeated the evil force, I would find some way to free the silver dragon from her icy sleep.


	3. Guardians of Time

Anna- It's always great to read your encouraging comments. Thank you for every single time you commented on this, and the first part of Dragon soul!

Anonymous- There is no way I'm stopping here with this story, there will be plenty more chapters, so don't you worry! Thank you for commenting.

* * *

Guardians of Time

The next morning, I had the fey dragons guide my friends to the Portal room while I went to find Gale and Fritz. Both had come to the palace to see my crowning, and now both were eager to return home. Despite how much they loved being here with me, it wasn't really good for them. Both were built for cold temperatures.

When Fritz came back with me to be my guide dragon, he constantly needed to cool himself down by grooming his long fur. Gale didn't have any way to defend herself from the heat, so she needed to return home soon after she arrived.

Once I found them, we headed to the portal room together. Waiting there, were all of my friends. Stella had already given everyone some good snow gear in her own designs.

"Oh, Bloom, there you are!" Stella jumped up at the sight of me and cast a spell. I was wrapped in a warm snow jacket in seconds.  
"Thanks, Stella. Now, before we go, I just want to say that the tunnels are a bit disorienting. Fritz and Gale will be with us though, so don't panic when we get there." I cautioned.

And with that, I opened the portal. Once it was open, Gale and Fritz confidently jumped through. I followed them quietly as my friends oohed and ahhed at the place beyond the portal. Timmy was the last one through, and it closed quickly behind him, causing everyone to jump as it was our only light source.

"Hang on a sec," Stella muttered, pulling off a glove and forming a small ball of light. "Follow us closely." She commanded, then threw it in the air.

The ball hovered a little ways above us, and began to glow brighter, illuminating the icy walls of the temple. Now that I could actually see the place, it was like visiting for the first time. Tall pillars held up a dome roof and many large tunnels could be seen higher up on the walls.

I sensed them before I could see them. Everyone except me jumped at the sound of their tallons clicking against the ice. From the darkness of the tunnels, all you could see were two glowing pairs of eyes, one blue and the other green. Weaving their way around each other, they entered the front hall.

"Mother, you have returned." Nyemaane called out in her soft, gentle voice.

"It is good to see you again, Mother." Sola was not as gentle. She rushed forwards to greet me. "Brother Eraklyon told us you accepted who you were."

"Well… I kind of accept it." I suddenly felt very self-conscious. I never spoke of the reincarnation thing to my friends. It was still super weird to me, so it would probably be just about unthinkable for them.

"Wait, what?" Musa finally spoke.

Taking a deep breath, I began to explain. "Sola, Nyemaane, and Eraklyon believe I am the reincarnation of their mother, the Great Dragon."

"You believe us, don't you?" Nyemaane's soft, sad eyes locked with mine. There was a tug in my chest and I felt guilty.

"I…" I trailed off. "I believe it, it's just hard to accept."

Nyemaane was silent for a moment, and then nodded. "So, what brings you to our home?"

"We need your help." I explained out mission and how we needed to find the six oldest planets with living guardians.

"Nine dragon guardians live today, but the six you seek are the oldest of all the Great Dragon bore. They were given the strengths of life itself." Sola said.

"What do you mean by strengths of life?" Sky asked.

"What every living thing has in order to survive. Each child of the Great Dragon has a power gifted to them by our mother. Something that will make us and our planet's inhabitant's unique. Eraklyon is the Dragon of Armor, his strength is also reflected in his people." Nyemaane looked to Sky.

"Well, I can sure see that. Both Sky and Thoren would do anything they thought was right for the people they care for." I nodded. "What was your gift?"

"I," Sola began. "Am the dragon of Past, and Nyemaane is the dragon of Future. Together, we are the Twins of Time. We have no orb to give you. We were too young when mother passed, so we did not get a share of her powers like Eraklyon and the others."

"Shouldn't there be three though? You know, for the past, present, and future?" Stella asked

"No." Sola stated. She didn't elaborate.

"Well… back to the main point," Tecna jumped in. "Who are the six oldest siblings?"

"The triplets, Andros, Linphea, and Domino, Zenith, Melody, and Solaria." Nyemaane rattled off their names. "If you truly want their orbs, I suggest going from youngest to oldest. Their powers are old and strong. The older they are, the stronger their magic, and the harder it will be to contain it. Absorbing the younger powers will give you some more strength to contain the older ones."

"Okay, so what order would that be?" Stella asked.

"Solaria, Zenith, Melody, Andros, Linphea, and finally Domino." Sola replied.

"Solaria first, huh?" Stella grinned. "That's perfect! There is a ball coming up to celebrate my father's birthday. We can search for it then!"

"That's great and all, but we don't know where the Dragon Orb is." Tecna cut in.

"Do you two know?" I turned to the twins.

"No, but we can find out." Nyemaane pushed off of the ground and began to levitate. Sola copied her sister and beckoned for us to follow. The girls and I transformed and, leaving the guys behind, followed the twins through a tunnel in the ceiling.

"The dragon orbs were formed for one purpose," Sola began as we made our way through the dark tunnel. "To reignite the Dragon fire's true power and let the guardians live on. If there were no orbs, the guardians would have to sacrifice themselves to return their power to the original fire."

"Well, it's a good thing they were made them. I would hate it if one of the dragons sacrificed themselves just for us." I said to no one in particular.

Suddenly, Nyemaane stopped. Stella, Musa, and Aisha ended up running into her. Sola turned around and nuzzled her sister. Their eyes locked and I could tell they were speaking with each other, but I didn't say anything. After a few seconds, they continued down the tunnel. Stella opened her mouth to complain, but I shot her a look, and she just quietly grumbled to herself.

An uncomfortable silence filled the surprisingly long tunnel. Finally, Flora spoke up. "So, what does it mean to be the Twins of time? Do you two have powers pertaining to your titles?"

"Yes," Sola answered. "I can look into anyone's past, and Nyemaane can see anyone's future. My sister also has visions of the future sometimes."

"Wow. That's incredible." I looked at the young guardians with a new respect. It was evident that they were young from the first time I heard their voices, and even though they were thousands of years older than me, I still thought of them as young and inexperienced. Like _I_ would have the knowledge of a couple thousand years.

"Does Eraklyon have a gift like that as well?" Tecna asked.

"Brother Eraklyon is the dragon of Armor. His gift makes him indestructible on the outside of nhis body and he can create indestructible force fields around those he wishes to protect." Sola explained.

"Will collecting the dragon orbs give Bloom those powers as well?" Aisha asked. "Being Indestructible can be a pretty good advantage against enemies."

"Not necessarily. I sense that while Bloom has been bound to the Dragon Fire, she is not in sync with it." Sola looked back at me. "Even if you were, though, I doubt you would gain such a power. It would throw off the balance of the Magical Dimension for such a fairy to exist."

"Oh…" Aisha looked a bit disappointed. It's true that such an ability would be useful, but oh well.

The tunnel finally opened up into what looked like a planetarium. A large model of the Magix dimension hung from the ceiling. Sola circled around it once, before stopping at what appeared to be Solaria.

"Here. I will look into the past to find Solaria's temple." She announced.

Stella and I flew close to her while Nyemaane and the others hung back. Sola lightly touched the planet, and began to give off a golden glow. Solaria began to glow as well, and expand at her touch. Once the planet was about the size of a beach ball, she spun it like a globe before stopping it, pointing in the middle of a blank stretch.

"Sandstone desert? The temple is there?" Stella asked.

"Yes. Hidden among the sand is Solaria's temple. He will be waiting inside along with his dragon orb." Sola confirmed.

Still glowing brightly, Sola twisted her long body around and reached for Nyemaane. Once the two touched, a silver glow emanated from the dragon.

" _The sun rises high, and never leaves the sky_

 _To bring life and warmth and keep hopes high_

 _The moon lays low, and is always known_

 _To keep company of the unknown_

 _Balance tips one way and the other, as other worlds fall asunder_

 _Secure only in the arms of the mother"_

Nyemaane's voice didn't seem to be her own as she recited the poem once again. Right before she began the poem a third time, Tecna pulled out her phone and recorded it.

The glow finally began to fade, and the twins watched us expectantly.

"What was that about?" Musa asked.

"It is the Riddle of Solaria. It will help you safely find Solaria and retrieve the orb." Nyemaane explained. "You must hurry though, I sense a dark presence is also after Solaria."

"That woman" I didn't realize I had spoken out loud until I saw everyone's eyes on me. I looked down, embarrassed.

"Well, thank you both. You two have made this journey easier for all of us." I nodded to them.

A low rumble emanated from both. "We are more than willing to help you find all six, if you'd like." Sola said quickly.

"That would be great! We'll come back as soon as we get the first orb from Solaria!" Stella cheered.

As we began to head back, I broke off from the group. I may have been blind my first time here, but I can still remember the presence of the silver dragon. Ever since she warned me about Eraklyon, I haven't had a single dream about her. I miss her horribly.

Reaching out with my mind, I found the silver dragon, and began to make my way down to her. It was a long and twisted path, but eventually, I found a shadow of silver in the ice. Kneeling before the ice wall, I placed my hand against it and let the cold spread through my body. Slowly, I tried reaching out to her with my powers.

A few moments passed, followed by a few minutes… Nothing.

"I promise," I began, looking into the ice at the silver dragon. "I promise I will find a way to free you."


	4. Solarian Ball

Anna- Thanks for understanding and support. I hope you continue to love the chapters to come.

Guest- Thank you so much! No way am I stopping now, but as for the silver dragon… we'll just have to wait and see, but I can tell you now that it's gonna be great!

Solarian Ball

Sola's Pov

Nyemaane has been quiet ever since mother and her friends left. When she suddenly halted in the tunnels, I knew she had a vision. Normally, she tells me her vision right away since it always has to do with Glacial. But not this time.

This time, she kept quiet. Even refusing to tell me through the telepathic bond we share. It has been making me nervous.

Once mother was gone for sure and there was no way for her to overhear, Nyemaane came to me.

"Sola…" Her voice was thick. "They're not going to make it in time…"

I was taken back. "So, Solaria will die?"

She nodded her head. "Not just Solaria. All of them. All of our siblings will die."

Bloom's Pov

"Kill me now." I muttered as Stella tore through her room, finding anything that just might be needed for the ball. Most of the items she was really panicking about weren't necessary for a ball though. She just about cried when she couldn't find some bandana that she _might_ need.

And of course, as her best friend, I had to somehow bring her back from the brink of insanity. Didn't think that would end up with me getting buried alive by bags clothes.

"Bloom? Where'd you go?" Stella asked.

"Help." I cried as I struggled to be free of the pile.

"Oh, there you are! Why are you playing hide and seek now when we need to be packing? The ball starts in a few hours!" Stella pulled me free.

"I'm ready, Stell, and so are the others. We're all waiting on you."

"Oh, I just need to find this one dress that I just made! It will be perfect for the ball."

"Then what are the seven other dresses for?" I groaned, rubbing my temples.

'For you and the girls! I even have a dress for Daphne." She squeaked with excitement.

"You better leave two behind then. I represent the Dragon rulers now, so I am wearing a dress they gave to me. And Daphne already has a dress made for this ball."

Stella visibly deflated. "But… But the dresses you have are so bland and formal! There isn't anything interesting about them. The fabric is beautiful, don't get me wrong, but the designs aren't anything special."

"Not really. None of them are sparkly or have complex patterns, but they're still amazing." Stella has been complaining about how I didn't wear one of her dresses during my coronation, but I'm not going to back down. I have so much to thank the dragons for, and I feel like one way to that is by using the things they gave me.

Stella went back to searching, but she was less enthusiastic than before. I felt a bit bad, but I'm not giving in, no matter what.

She eventually found what she was looking for and we headed out. The guys were waiting for us in the court yard of Alfea. We boarded the Owl and took off. It didn't take long to reach the Solarian Palace, and it was obvious before we landed that everyone was preparing for a celebration.

Banners and streamers decorated the streets and everyone was dressed up.

"Wow, Stella, how important is this ball?" Brandon asked.

Of course Solaria had a ball coming up when we were planning to search for the Dragon orb. She refuses to tell us what the ball is about.

"You'll see!" She sang, grinning from ear to ear.

Even though I couldn't see anyone's face, I knew all of us rolled our eyes. "I'm excited for the ball, but how are we going to find the guardian dragon?"

"Simple!" Stella said. "We are gonna have a great time at the ball while our chief sorcerer magically scans the Sandstone desert for the temple. When he finds it, we can head over to the temple as soon as the party is over."

"Since when does Solaria have a chief sorcerer?" Brandon asked.

Stella gasped and quickly covered her mouth with her hand. "Nothing!" She tried to cover herself. "Nothing at all!"

Raising an eyebrow, I gave her a confused look, but decided not to ask. I could feel something at the very edge of my senses. Focusing on it, I began to feel a familiar pull.

Using my magic, I sent out my dragon to follow the feeling. At the back of my mind, everyone gasped in surprise and began calling out to me. Ignoring them, I followed the feeling.

 _You won't be able to reach her._

The voice broke my concentration and my dragon dissipated in the air. I easily recognized the voice. It was the same voice that came to me when my vision was restored.

 _Why not?_ I called out. I can sense a magical presence from anywhere in the universe, but I haven't felt the pull of that woman since I first faced her. I want to meet her, even though I know in my gut that it wouldn't go well.

The voice didn't return.

"Bloom?" I hadn't noticed, but Sky had knelt down next to my chair and began to try and shake me out of it.

"Sorry," My voice was shaky from the surprise. "I'm sorry Stella, but we might not to stay for the entire ball."

"What?! Why not?" She cried.

"Because I can sense that woman."

The ship went quiet. I had already explained everything about her in as much detail as I could remember, so they all knew what that meant for me. Also, her presence off of Eraklyon was a bit disturbing.

"So, what do you want to do?" Aisha asked finally.

"Right now, she feels very far away. We could probably stay for the main event, but I really don't like the fact that I can just now sense her." I sighed, looking out the window.

I stayed quiet the rest of the way. There was just too many things weighing on my mind to join the conversation. When we landed, I was still in my own thoughts as Stella led us to our individual rooms for the day. My room was obviously the closest to Stella's, so I just quietly followed her, nodded my head every once in a while as she continued to chatter excitedly about something.

Absentmindedly, I looked through a window and my jaw just about hit the floor. I gasped and pointed out the window at the familiar girl strutting into the castle.

Stella followed my finger and froze.

"WHAT IS CHIMERA DOING HERE?!" She roared.

My arm was just about yanked out of its socket when she grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the window. Having no other choice, I followed Stella down the hall and to her father's quarters. We found King Radius speaking to an older man and Lady Luna.

"Daddy!" Stella was still fuming. "What is that no good Chimera doing here?!"

"Now, Stella, I know you have had bad experiences with Chimera before, but she is trying to make amends for her mother's and her own mistakes. I know what she and her mother tried to do, but she is not her mother. She does not deserve to take all of the blame for a plan her mother orchestrated." Radius put his hands out, trying to calm Stella down.

"Make amends for mistakes?!" Stella was outraged. "She tried to steal my title!"

"Please, Stella," Luna placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Please understand that none of us want her to be here, but it is the duty of a ruler to be forgiving and give a second chance to everyone who might deserve it."

"Might? But she…" Stella trailed off as the old man quietly stepped forwards.

"Stella, my dear, remember the story about the butterfly and the cricket?" The old man asked.

She didn't respond. I gave him a curious look.

"Once, there was a cricket and a caterpillar. The cricket had gathered a pile of leaves for the day so it could eat throughout the night without leaving its hiding place. The cricket left to gather a few more leaves and returned to find a caterpillar eating its leaves. Angry, the cricket immediately chased the caterpillar away. Months later, the cricket was trying to collect some leaves from a tall tree, but could not reach the best leaves at the top. Then, the cricket saw a beautiful butterfly sitting at the top of a tree. He called to the butterfly, asking for help getting leaves, and the butterfly flew down to him. Why it's you again, the butterfly said, I am so sorry that I stole your leaves so long ago. I didn't know they were yours. I won't bother you anymore. And the butterfly flew off."

"What a nice story." I smiled.

"Stella, can you tell us the moral of the story?" He turned to Stella.

"That you shouldn't jump to conclusions and give others a second chance when they are wrong." She sighed.

"That's my smart, little princess." The man wrapped her in a hug and Stella melted in his embrace.

"Ahem, Inferno Bloom, allow me to introduce my father, Sorcerer Appollo." Radius bowed to me, and I bowed back.

"It is an honor to meet you," I began as Appollo stepped away from Stella.

"The honor is mine." The old man laughed. "The real honor is meeting you. The bearer of the Dragonfire and Inferno of the dragons."

"Bloom, the ball today is for my Grandfather," Stella explained. "He is finally a master sorcerer, and will be named the first chief sorcerer of Solaria in half a century. He's also going to help us find Solaria's temple in the desert."

"I can't thank you enough for your help. The faster we find the temple, the better." I replied.

"Is there something wrong, Inferno Bloom? I was unaware there was a time crunch." Appollo tilted his head, confused.

"There might be another going after the temple and the dragon orb. I just want to get it before anything like that could happen." I can still sense that other woman in the back of my mind. It's making me uncomfortable, but as long as she stays away, I'm sure we will have plenty of time to find the temple and the dragon orb.

Throughout the day, the girls and I prepared for the ball. Appollo disappeared for a while to search for the temple, but he returned just as the ball began.

Even with the special guest, the ball went on just like any other. As I walked into the room, my name and title was announced and stayed close to the girls and specialists until the main event. It was a bit odd though. Many people came up to me and asked about the dragons. I answered their questions as best I could, but some just wanted to start trouble.

"What is it like to rule savage animals?" Some smug, old man asked me.

"The same as always. I am still a princess of Domino, and I find little difference between dragons and some humans." I shot back.

I know that wasn't very becoming of me, but his sour face was worth a dirty glare or two.

During this time, Stella disappeared into the crowd. For a while, I thought she went to stand with her family, but finally, I spotted her heading straight for Chimera.

Unable to get out of a conversation with a particularly chatty governor, I elbowed Shy hard in the ribs.

"Ouch!" He said, but once he followed my gaze, he got the others attention and they began to run walk to intercept Stella.

Once they walked away, my stomach turned and the feeling in the back of my head grew stronger. Suddenly, everything around me disappeared.

Stella's Pov

How no one saw what Chimera just did was beyond me. Since the night began, I've been keeping an eye on her. Poor Bloom was basically swarmed by people asking about the dragons, and the others were just not paying attention. I have no clue what she just put into the punch bowl, but that little bottle in her hand just reeks of bad things.

Just as I was about to confront her, Brandon grabbed my arm out of the blue and pulled me away.

"Brandon wait!" I cried.

"Stella, what are you thinking?! This ball is special, right? Why don't you just stay away from her?" He asked. Just now, I noticed that the other girls and guys, excluding Bloom, were with him.

"Chimera slipped something into the punch bowl!" I whisper shouted at him, pointing to the bottle in her hand that she was in no way trying to hide.

That made them change their tune. With me leading the way, we marched over to her as a group and confronted the little witch.

"Whatch ya got there?" I asked, giving her a big smile.

Smug as ever, she returned my smile. "Just a little something to spice up the evening."

Tecna pulled out her scanner and scanned the punch. "She put some kind of sleeping agent in the punch!"

"Spice up? Seems like it would be more of a snooze fest to me." I retorted, grabbing the bottle out of her hand. Surprisingly, she just let me.

Something wasn't right. She was way too easy going if this was something serious.

"Guys!" I whipped around at Bloom's shout. She was running towards us with a wild look in her eyes. Sky ran towards her and caught her as she tripped on her dress.

"Bloom, what's wrong?" Sky asked.

"It's her!" She gasped. "She's here, on Solaria! She found the temple!"


	5. Solaria's Keep

OKAY, before anything happens, I just wanna gush about how some awesome person created fan art for Dragon Soul. I jumped on my Deviant art for the first time in almost a month and saw I got a mention on someone else's art. Curious, I checked it… and then was on cloud nine for the rest of the day. I love the scene she did and would really appreciate it if you guys would check it out as well. She didn't have to do this, so show her a little love for me. Her user name is BlazingEspeon33 and the title of the artwork is "Mother…?"

Anna- Sorry, but Cliffhangers are so much fun! They keep people guessing and interested in the story. And thanks yet again for all of the support.

Guest #1- Thanks so much for the review. And I promise things won't be that bad... Hopefully…

Guest #2- THANKS! Things are slowing down now, so hopefully I can get chapters out more often. (Don't hold me to this)

SuBeskreus: Glad you've enjoyed the story so far! Nyemaane's ability to see the future is pretty reliable, but she can only see small glimpses. She can see an event, but not what happens mere seconds before or after said event. That's really all I can tell without possibly spoiling. Great question by the way!

Guest- THANK YOU!

Guest- Thanks and I'll update when I can!

Solaria's Keep

Bloom's Pov

"What?!" Stella gasped. Appollo and the king and queen made their way to us.

"Guards," Stella commanded. "Arrest Chimera and take everyone's drinks. We don't know what other drinks were spiked as well."

"What's going on?" Queen Luna asked.

"Chimera spiked the punch with a sleeping potion." Techna explained.

"What?!" Radius roared.

"Oh, dear. What ever shall I do?" She asked, giving an annoyed sigh.

"…Are you kidding me?" Stella asked. "You were caught! You're going to jail! What's wrong with you?"

"And that's exactly how we planned for it to happen." She gave Stella a smug smile, and then snapped her fingers.

Suddenly, several Solarian guards drew their weapons and directed them at us.

Suddenly, I realized what was happening. "Stella, this is a distraction!"

She whipped around and gave me a confused look. "What?"

"Clever, Bloom. Too clever." Chimera raised her hand and began to cast a spell.

"Watch out!" I shouted.

Faster than any of us could see, Appollo jumped in front of Stella and raised his hand. A golden shield formed and Chimera's spell harmlessly bounced off of it.

Someone screamed behind us, and before I could turn around to look, glass began to shatter all around us. I summoned my dragon and had it wrap around us. The glass shards fell harmlessly around us. When my dragon dissipated, the scale of the situation took my breath away.

Almost fifty men in black suits were jumping through the windows and surrounding us.

"What now, Stella? You can either go get the dragon orb, or save your family." Chimera laughed.

Stella looked lost, and so did the others. I had to get to the guardian before the other woman did, but there's no way the girls could take on all of these men, even with the Specialists and the other guards.

"Inferno Bloom," Appollo grabbed my hand. "You, Stella, and I will go. The others will handle this. We must not allow the Guardian's power to fall into the wrong hands."

I looked into his golden eyes and felt deep within me that I could trust him. Looking to the others, they nodded their heads, accepting this plan. I set my jaw and nodded.

"Magic Winx!" I called out. "Bloomix!"

Once transformed, Stella and I grabbed Appollo's hands and he teleported the three of us away. When we materialized, we were in the middle of a sandstorm.

"Where are we?" I shouted over the wind.

"Sandstone Desert," Appollo shouted back. "I sensed that the temple is somewhere in this area. You will have to guide us the rest of the way, Bloom."

"How do I do that?!" I asked.

 _Feel._

A one word command entered my head. With nothing else to do, I closed my eyes and began to focus. I began to feel my heartbeat. It beat in a strong and steady rhythm, and I began to match my breathing to it. Something flickered in my chest, and I recognized it as my magic, the Dragon flame. Pulling from the flicker, I cast out a field of magic and began to feel something on the very edge of my senses.

I had no clue if that was what I was looking for, but I began marching towards it anyways.

"Where's she going?" I heard Stella ask.

"To the temple." Appollo replied.

We continued on in silence, all three of us focused more on not falling and getting sand in our eyes and mouth more than anything else. Eventually, the sandstorm began to weaken.

"Finally!" Stella cried, "It's over!"

Dusting off my face, I looked around. "It isn't over, Stel…"

She began to say something, but gasped instead.

"By the Great Dragon…" Appollo breathed.

Directly in front of us was nothing. But that nothing bent the sandstorm around us and made the sky appear warped.

"It must be an invisibility spell." Appollo said. "Something invisible is parting the storm."

After a moment of hesitation, the three of us began forwards again. Cautiously, I put my hand out ahead of me as I walked, not wanting to plow face first into Solaria's Keep.

After a little while, my hand touched something solid, but invisible. "Here!" I called out. "Something here is invisible."

Appollo and Stella stood next to me and touched the object as well. "Feels almost like glass." Appollo stated.

"That's because it is." The three of us jumped at the sudden voice and looked around.

Suddenly, my hand was pushed back. Grabbing the others, I jumped out of the way. Looking back, the invisible thing was now revealed to be a glass set of doors now opened to reveal a gold and white dragon.

"Who are you and why have you come?" He asked.

Standing up, I bowed to the dragon. "I am Inferno Bloom, these are my friends, Stella, princess of Solaria and Appollo, chief sorcerer of Solaria." The dragon tilted his head. "Of the planet, not the Guardian."

"I see. I am Alake, gate keeper of the Glass Keep." He bowed deeply.

Alake was twice my size and had an almost Egyptian look. His scales were mostly white, but his back and the backs of his wings were gold. He had a few light blue gems decorating his scales and the underside of his wings were blue as well. His claws were sliver and he had bright blue eyes.

"Alake, we need to get to the guardian immediately. Solaria, the guardian, is in danger!" I began.

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "What do you mean?"

"Someone is here to steal his dragon orb." Stella explained. "We need to get to it first and return it to the Dragon Flame."

"No one can steal the dragon orb." Alake scoffed. "It resides inside of Solaria's body. Only he can give it away."

"That's not the point!" Stella cried. "You let someone in who wants to steal something!"

Alake suddenly tensed up. "What? You are the first humans to have come here in centuries."

He didn't let her in? She must have snuck in then. "I can sense a presence inside the keep. If you take a moment, I'm sure you will sense her too."

Alake looked behind himself, was quiet for a moment, and then whipped back around to face us. "I- I have to stop her! She shouldn't be in here!"

"Let us help you, Alake. We don't want her here anymore than you do." Appollo offered.

The dragon nodded his head and allowed us to follow him through the glass doors.

Once through, All three of us had to stop to take in the Glass keep's beauty. Inside the glass walls, light shimmered all around the room. Small rainbows reflected off of almost every surface except the floor. The floor was different. It was as black as the night sky, but small spots of light speckled the floor.

I wanted to ask Alake about it, but the annoyed look he gave me kept me from asking. We followed him through the hall and to a set of golden doors.

"I don't understand…" Alake looked around.

"What's wrong?" Stella asked.

"The main hall is a maze of glass and light." He began.

"But wait a sec!" Stella cut him off. We just went through a straight hallway."

"It appeared to be that because we went the correct way. Through this way, we can also see through all of the glass walls of the maze. We should have seen her."

"Maybe she got through the doors." Stella offered.

"Impossible. You must break the door's seal to enter, and no one has ever succeeded. I have lived here for centuries, and not even I have been able to open the doors."

I stepped closer to inspect the golden doors. A scale was etched in the gold, along with a sun, moon, and a picture of the great dragon. The sun rested on one side of the scale, weighing it down, while the moon and the dragon were cast off to the side.

"To open the doors," Alake touched the moon with his claw. The image began to glow, and he moved it across to the other side of the scale, like moving an image on a computer screen. "You must balance the scales using all three images."

The moon did not balance with the sun, but it was much heavier than the sun.

"Try placing the dragon on the sun side." Stella asked.

"Do you think I haven't already tried?" He grumbled.

"You have, but we haven't. Let us see how things balance out." Appollo asked.

Alake huffed, but dragged the dragon onto the side of the sun. The sun side dropped like a stone. Before I could ask, he moved the moon over to the sun side, and the dragon to the now empty side, and the dragon ended up being heavier than the sun and the moon.

"That doesn't make sense." Appollo scratched his chin. There must be some way to balance out the scale using all three. "Can you move the sun so we can see if the moon and the dragon weigh the same?"

He shook his head. "It is impossible."

"No it isn't!" Stella suddenly piped up. We turned to look at her in confusion. "Remember the riddle Sola told us?" Stella summoned her phone and replayed the riddle.

"The sun rises high, and never leaves the sky

To bring life and warmth and keep hopes high

The moon lays low, and is always known

To keep company of the unknown

Balance tips one way and the other, as other worlds fall asunder

Secure only in the arms of the mother"

As I listened to the riddle, I began to see what she was thinking.

"You have to use all three images to balance the scales, but maybe one doesn't have to be on the trays."

Stella removed the dragon from the sun side and moved it on top of the scale. The image of the dragon began to merge with the scale, creating a new image all together. A dragon with two heads now held up the sun and the moon.

Stella lightly pushed on the doors, and they easily gave way. All of us stood there, mouths open in surprise. Alake the most surprised of all.

"But I've accidentally done that before!" He stammered. "It didn't work!"

"Maybe it needed to be done with purpose." Appollo offered.

The four of us continued down the hall, but suddenly, I ran into a glass wall.

"Ouch!" I fell backwards.

"It must be another maze." Alake guessed. He looked at the floor, and then behind us.

I looked down and followed his gaze. The floor was no longer black, but was gold. I felt disappointed, but then a thought came to me. "Alake, why was the floor like the night sky in the other hall way?"

"The floor is the key to the maze." He explained. "Follow the stars and you shall find your way. That is what my mentor told me."

We began to backtrack, and eventually found the stars again right in front of the golden doors. "I've been here so long that I've memorized the first maze. I forgot this is not that maze." Alake lowered his head.

"Hey, don't worry about it! You've gotten us through here faster than we could have without you." Stella encouraged.

"It would have been faster if I knew the solution to the riddle beforehand." He grumbled.

"That riddle just took some outside the box thinking." I offered. "And Stella can go way outside the box."

"Hey!" She playfully hit my shoulder.

We followed the stars closely, and came upon another door. This time, there was a single symbol in the middle of the golden door.

"I know what to do for this." I reached out and touched the symbol, and sure enough, a memory was imbedded in it.

" _Master, what does Solaria's symbol mean?"_

" _It means Balance, young one. Balance between life and death, good and evil, between everything. Whether that balance be helpful or harmful._

Stepping back, I called out, "Solaria, Dragon of Balance."

The seal began to glow, and the door moved by itself. "Get ready!" Appollo said.

Alake tensed his muscles while the rest of us began to cast spells, ready to face whatever was behind those golden doors.

When the doors opened, Stella shouted "Charge!" and ran through, and almost fell off a cliff if it weren't for Alake grabbing her by the foot.

A giant pillar stood alone in the great room. Wrapped around that pillar, was a two headed dragon.

The dragon had one silver head, and a golden one. Its body was a darker gold, and its belly was silver. A bright yellow jewel was set in between its heads. Both heads held ropes that attached to a single pot. The silver head was holding a black pot with a blue moon, and the gold was holding a white pot with a red circle.

"Who enters my Keep?" A quiet voice asked.

It took me a moment to realize that it was the dragon that spoke. It was surprising to hear such a soft voice come from such a behemoth.

"Guardian Solaria, I am Bloom, Keeper of the Dragon Flame. I've come to ask for your dragon orb."

"I recognize you, mother, but I cannot give you the orb." A different voice, one that was raspy and loud, replied.

"Why not?" Stella asked.

"Because we want it."

I turned to see three people standing on a hovering platform. One was a frail, older man, another was none other than Argus, the dragon hunter, and the third person was the one with all of my attention. That woman.


	6. Orb of Balance

Wow am I sorry for taking so long to post another chapter. Well, winter break's right around the corner, so I might get another chapter done this month. Not making promises though.

Anna- You're really gonna hate me for this one then. Thanks for all the support!

BlazingEspeon33- No, thank you for making the art in the first place. I'm glad you enjoy this story enough to even think about making art for it.

Guest- THANK YOU I'll attempt updating more often, but I've had a busy year and it's about to get busier. I'll try and stay somewhat consistent though.

Orb of Balance

Bloom's Pov

Once our eyes locked, I felt a pull. A need to be near her, but also a need to tear her apart. I'm surprised that I didn't feel it right as we got to the keep, but now that I do feel it. It's almost overpowering.

"Alake, break their eye contact." Solaria commanded.

Blue enveloped my eyesight. Alake had stretched one of his wings out in between us.

"Please, Kala, look away." The old man

" _Kala, so that's her name…"_ I thought.

Once eye contact was broken, the pull disappeared. I can still sense her presence and could feel a tingle in my chest because of it, but it was no longer overpowering my every thought.

"Great Guardian, Solaria, I ask as the chief sorcerer of your planet that you return your dragon orb to Bloom. She is the reincarnation of the Great Dragon. It belongs to her."

"I cannot give it to her." The raspy voice answered. I finally realized that the raspy voice was coming from the golden head of Solaria. The silver one must have the softer voice.

"Why not?" Stella cried.

"Because then the universe would be even more unbalanced than before." The quiet voice began. "Mother already has Eraklyon's orb. Kala has no orb. Good and evil will not be balanced if mother gets both."

"So you recognize that Kala and her friends are evil?" Appollo asked.

"We aren't evil!" The old man cried out. "We are simply using evil, or negative magic, to help Magix!"

"Then why did you try to tear Eraklyon apart?" I challenged.

"We were simply in line with each other's goals." Argus began. His voice oozing intent to manipulate. "That spoiled brat wanted the guardian dragon to name him a true king, and we wanted the dragon orb of that guardian. We simply used him to get what we wanted."

"Well, that turned out just fine for you, didn't it?" Stella scoffed.

"We did not think the guardian would react in such a way." The old man admitted.

"Oh, you didn't think tearing a planet apart would upset its guardian?" She asked, sarcastically. "Wow! Who would have thought?"

"Enough!" Argus shouted. That earned him quite the glare from Solaria's golden head.

Kala had been unusually silent during this exchange. No one else seemed to notice, or to even care, but I did. I remained acutely aware of her every movement, just as she remained aware of mine.

"Eraklyon broke our rules when asked for a dragon orb." The silver head began. "You must earn the dragon orb, we cannot simply give it to someone who may be unfit to hold its powers."

"What must we do to earn the dragon orb?" Appollo asked.

"One of you must complete the glass labyrinth before the other. One of the dragon guards can assist you, but no one else can. Use your wit and luck to escape the maze and complete its challenges." The golden head answered.

There was no way I could complete a challenge, let alone walk a labyrinth with Kala nearby. "Stella, I can't do the challenge."

"What? But you have to! You have to earn the orb of Solaria." She cried.

"Mother not only was strong because of her power, but because of her ability to gain the love and devotion of her friends and followers. The strength of her friends gave her more power. Your friend can go in your place." The silver head said.

Stella looked between the two heads of the Guardian and then back to me. "Okay then, I'll get the orb, but you owe me at least a full day of modeling!" She said, jokingly.

I give her an encouraging smile. "You win and I'll be your personal pin cushion for a week."

"Alake, will you help me?" Stella asked the white and gold dragon.

"I will assist in any way I can." Alake answered, dipping his head to her.

"I shall go for Kala," Argus stepped forwards.

A golden portal formed near Argus and a gold and white dragon stepped through. "Sunder shall assist you."

Sunder was very similar to Alake. Same body type, but his colors were just a bit darker. Argus climbed onto the dragon's back and Stella climbed onto Alake.

"Brother, best luck to you." Alake called out to Sunder.

"There is no luck to this. Only the best shall triumph." Sunder scoffed.

A silver portal formed in front of the two dragons. "Go through the portals and your challenge shall begin."

"Stay safe, Stella." Appollo called out to her as the four passed through the portals.

Stella's Pov

The maze was darker than I expected. When the portal closed behind us, the maze went dark.

"Here," I formed a small ball of light. "Now we can find our way."

"Stella, I can see in the dark." Alake said. "The mazes here always have some trick to them. If we figure out that trick, we will easily navigate the maze."

"The ones that led us to Solaria was on the ground," I looked down and gasped. "Alake, careful!"

Alake looked down as well and reared up, surprised as well. The ground under his feet was glass as well, and under that glass was a sheer drop.

"Don't scare me like that!" Alake grumbled.

"Sorry, I just wanted to warn you." I crossed my arms. "I just hope all of the floor is glass. There's no way to tell if there is or isn't if you just look down."

Alake turned his head upwards. "This maze is almost the opposite of the other ones."

I looked up to see what he meant, and was very pleased to see the night sky above us. We looked up in silence for a moment, and I began to get a bad feeling. Standing up on Alake's back, I reached up and found a glass ceiling. "The ground itself looked like the night sky on the others, but this appears to be a real night sky. How can this be? It's never nighttime in Solaria."

"If that's a glass ceiling, then all of the rest will look like the night sky as well. We'll need to find another way to get through." Alake sighed.

I could tell he was a bit disappointed. I was as well. "Hey, how about we just start walking now, and figure out the trick as we go? We won't accomplish anything just standing here."  
"But we have no plan," Alake protested. "There has to be some way to easily make it through the maze."

"And right now, we can't figure it out. We'll be better off making some progress now. Who knows, we might figure it out on our way through." I countered.

Alake was silent for a moment, but then he began walking. "I'll walk, you watch the sky. There has to be something we aren't seeing."

As we worked our way through the maze, I began to regret my decision. Poor Alake ran into glass walls over and over again, he about broke his leg by trying to step down on the glass floor only to find that there was no glass, and the ceiling would sometimes dip down and he would hit his head.

"Alake, stop!" I cried as he ran into another glass wall. When he recoiled, I could see some blood left on the glass.

"We can't waste time, Stella. Sunder is one of the best navigators here. He and that man might be half way through already." Alake growled.

"But you're hurt," I jumped down from his back and went to stand in front of him. I stepped just in front of his forelegs when I felt my foot hit nothing.

"Stella!" Alake lunged to grab me as I fell. For a moment, I forgot that I had wings and my stomach twisted as Alake just barely missed me. As I fell downwards, I noticed something as I stared up at Alake, who was now trying to fit his large body through the gap. Just above him was a particularly bright star.

Finally snapping to my senses, I began to flap my wings and fly back up to Alake. "Stella, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but look." I pointed to the star. "I have an idea." I flew back, retracing our steps to another hole in the glass. Looking up, there was another bright star above it.

"Stella, where are you going?" I heard Alake call out to me. Remembering the other places Alake fell through the holes, I guessed their location and saw that a bright star was above all of them. Satisfied with my discovery, I made my way back to Alake.

"I found the trick." I announced.

"Really, what is it?" Alake asked.

"If you look up right above the hole, there is a bright star just above it. I went back and saw it was the same for another one, and from the looks of it, it's the same for the other ones as well."

Alake looked up. "So, now we know where the holes will be, but that doesn't help much."

"Actually, it's our ticket through this maze." I smiled. "If you look ahead of us, there are a bunch of bright stars there as well. I bet they all have corresponding holes as well."

"…I don't follow." Alake cocked his head.

"Come on, think outside the box, or… outside the maze." I grinned as he realized what my plan was. "We just need to find a hole you can easily fit through and fly under the maze and go back in near the end!"

"But that's cheating. We need to find our way through the maze." Alake protested. "If we cheat, Solaria might not give you the orb."

"I don't think the glass walls are just the maze," I said. "Solaria said there would be challenges, but we haven't encountered one yet. So, either the guardian dragon is lying, or the challenge is to think outside the box."

"But this is a challenge of balance. Solaria is the guardian dragon of Balance! The challenge must be something that coincides with the idea of balance." Alake argued.

"Listen, this is my test for my friend. We did the maze your way up until this point, not we're going to finish it my way." I locked eyes with him. He snarled angrily, but then shook his head.

"You're right, I'm sorry." He grumbled. "Get on my back so you don't fall again."

I immediately felt bad for saying it. Alake was part of this test. He was helping when he didn't have to.

Quietly, I climbed onto his back and let him continue through the maze. I winced every time he hit a wall or the ceiling. After a while, he found a hole right under a bright star that was big enough for him to get through.

"Hang on. I'll need to drop for a moment to get enough space to spread my wings." Alake warned.

He flew us to what appeared to be the end of the maze while I watched out for bright stars. We were just about to reach the very back wall of the maze when I notices a particularly bright star. The brightest I've seen yet. "Alake, hang on a sec." He began to hover for a moment. "Let's head up here."

"Why?" He asked.

"This star is brighter than the others. Let's check it out." I said.

Thankfully, the hole was large enough for Alake to get through without a problem, and my were we not greeted with an amazing sight. We had indeed made it to the end of the maze, and right behind us and a wall of glass was poor Sunder and Argus, both wearing matching, shocked expressions.

"Well, well, well, looks like we won, Al," I grinned and stuck my tongue out at Argus.

"Al?" He looked back at me.

"Do you not like it?" I asked.

"No, it's fine." He turned his head away, but not fast enough to hide his smile from me.

A silver portal formed in front of us, and when I looked back, a portal was forming for Argus as well. Stepping through, I was once again hit with something that I was not ready for, but this time… this was very, very bad.

The room was silent, except for the flames that still climbed up the walls of Solaria's Keep. Through the fire, I could dimly make out a shine of light through the smoke. Without thinking, I surged forwards only to be pulled back by Alake' silver claws.

"Hold on," He whispered. "Something's not right."

"Yeah, something's not right! Bloom and my grandfather is sitting there in the fire!" I cried, struggling to get free.

A dark shadow surged above us. I screamed in fear as Alake flung me away from the shadow. It was Argus and Sunder. Sunder snarled at Alake, extending two long fangs and opening a cobra like hood on his neck. Alake copied his brother and the two sized each other up.

"Nothing like a little dragon training, eh?" Argus laughed.

"What have you done to my brother?" Alake roared.

"He is how he should be. Submissive and yet dangerous to all who oppose his master."

"That is not how dragons should be!" I replied. "Dragons can be dangerous, but they're also helpful and wise!" Alake cast me a glance. "They can keep you from running headlong into a problem and make you think about possible solutions rather than just winging it and hoping things work out."

"Logic doesn't solve all problems." Argus shot back. "Sometimes strength is all you need!"

"You're wrong! Problems are never just answered with strength. Every problem has a solution, and having a good balance between logic and intuition will get you to that solution faster than strength."

I felt something strange surge in my chest, and a light began to surround me. I looked to Alake, and he was enveloped with a bright light as well. I could feel my Bloomix outfit be stripped away around me and my wings begin to change.

A solid gold ring circled my neck. A silver strand of fabric and a gold strand of fabric attached to the ring and wrapped around my chest. Golden tights and silver, knee high boots covered my legs and feet. My wings were similar to dragon wings. They were sectioned off by a darker gold and tapered off from a golden-yellow into a light yellow and a blue crescent moon formed on my right wing. Alake's back was covered in golden armor along with his forelegs and tail. He wore a golden helm with a blue crescent moon at the center of his forehead.

"Alake, let's end this quickly!" I shouted. He roared in response.

I jumped onto Alake's back and together, we charged Sunder and Argus. The name of a spell popped into my head. "Dragon's light!"

My spell easily knocked Argus off of Sunder. Even though Argus was no longer near Sunder, he continued to size up Alake.

"I feel a new power rushing through my veins." Alake said to no one in particular. He stretched out his hood and I could see four blue dots on the underside of the hood begin to shine. Alake roared again and charged his brother.

Sunder, now afraid of the light, stepped away from Alake. He might have backed down, but I could tell he was still under Argus' influence. "Here," I flew off of Alake's back and approached the cowering dragon. "Soothing moon."

A blue light appeared and washed over Sunder. I could sense his change of mood and stood back as the dragon stood up.

"Brother, are you all right?" Alake asked.

"I am fine. Confused, but fine." Alake nuzzled his confused brother's cheek.

"Stella!" I whipped around to see my grandfather being supported by Bloom as they walked towards us.

"What happened? Where's Kala and that man? Where's the Guardian?" I asked.

"I am here." A weak voice responded. I turned to see the Guardian dragon, who just moments ago stood tall, strong, and proud, hunched over and old.

"Kala took the dragon orb by force. She just pulled it right out of his chest." Bloom spat. "And I couldn't do anything about it!"

"You two needed to stay separate," Appollo said." But I was a fool to try and take her on by myself."

"You what?!" I gasped.

"I did." He sighed. "And you can plainly see the results from that."

I stayed quiet for a moment. "Well, what now?"

"Now, I give you your reward for completing the maze." The Gold head of Solaria said.

"But the dragon orb's gone." Bloom said.

"But my original power isn't. If I return it to you, you shall have the same powers the orb will grant Kala." The silver head replied.

"What will happen to you if you do that?" I asked. If taking the dragon orb turned Solaria old, what might happen if his power is taken away.

"I shall die."


	7. Dragonix

I meant to get this out on Christmas day but life got in the way. Oh well. No matter what you celebrate, or even if you don't celebrate anything this time of year, I hope you guys have a great holiday season and enjoy the next chapter.

BlazingEspeon33's struck again with a piece of fanart with Mink, Leaf, and Bloom. I love it and would once again really appreciate it if you sent a little love her way.

Lyrical-light- thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.

Anna- I'm glad you like them enough to put up with cliffhangers

BlazingEspeon33 thanks so much, and a lot did happen last chapter, huh? Now I've just gotta keep up the pace… frick

Zezily- maybe… maybe not… Let's find out

.16- Thank you.

Bloom's Pov

"I don't understand," I whispered "Eraklyon didn't deteriorate like this when he gave me his orb."

"Eraklyon is a child compared to me." Solaria's golden head laughed. "Centuries passed before mother even thought of creating another planet or child after me."

"What would happen to the planet if you died?" Appollo asked.

Stella and I looked at him in shock. "Grandpa, we can't…" Stella began.

"We don't have any other options. If Solaria won't be effected, then Bloom should take his power to rival that girl. Her magical energy is incredibly volatile and evil. Bloom must gain Solaria's power to even think of rivaling her." Appollo sighed.

"Solaria will be fine." The silver head began. "We were created to guard the planets in the beginning as the dimension was still so new and unstable. Our job has been long over. Once, life began to flourish, we vowed to protect our planet's inhabitants, but they no longer need us anymore. Especially when they have guardians like you." The two heads focused on Stella and me.

"But…" Suddenly, Solaria reached out and brushed one of his silver claws lightly against my cheek.

"Mother, you died defending the universe. Allow me to do the same. All I ever wanted to do was follow in your footsteps. To live up to your great name. Allow me to help you." He asked.

My chest tightened suddenly.

I'm not his mother. I'm not Sola and Nyemaane's mother. I know that, so why do I feel like I am condemning my own child to death?

 _Take it._ The sudden reappearance of the voice made me jump. So, even that voice wants me to do it. But something was off. The voice was normally sharp and strong, but this time, it was quieter, and almost… sad.

Still conflicted, I thought of Kala, and the dark shadow that's supposed to be coming. Just sensing her presence sets something off in my mind. Something that I know that if I followed through with, there would be devastating consequences. If I felt this way with Kala, I have no clue how I'll react to the shadow. To face this, I need to get stronger. I need to collect the dragon orbs, even if it means taking one of the Guardian's lives.

I still wasn't very confident in my decision, but I couldn't wait any longer. If I did, I might change my mind. I reached out to Solaria with both hands, and he bent down to touch my hands with his noses. The moment I came into contact with both heads, I felt a surge of power flow through me. It was different than when I absorbed the dragon orb's power, but still felt incredible.

"I, Solaria, Guardian Dragon of Balance, grant you my power. May it keep you sane in your darkest hour, and defend you from harm. I give you all that is me, and all that will ever be, in the realm of this planet."

It was similar to what Eraklyon said to me, but the words still held just as much power. When the flow of power began to ebb away, Solaria's body began to turn to dust. The light in his eyes began to fade and his body crumpled to the ground.

"Guardian!" Alake cried.

The dust from his body began to collect and shine a brilliant light. "It's his soul," Appollo breathed. "When it disperses, he will be gone forever."

"No!" Stella shouted. "I can't let this happen!"

"Stella, wait!" I cried as she shot upwards, toward Solaria's Soul. Alake roared and tried to follow her, but as soon as she touched the light, everything went dark. Whatever lit the room instantly gave out and we were plunged into darkness.

Stella's Pov

The moment I touched the light, a powerful surge of energy knocked me out. When I finally opened my eyes, I knew I wasn't awake. What else could explain why I was suddenly in space? I was dreaming, and all I needed to do was wake up to get back to my friends.

"You're quite impulsive, aren't you?" A strong, voice asked. I looked up to see Solaria returned to his normal appearance and surrounded by a golden light. "You were foolish to come after my Soul like that."

"I just didn't know what else to do. Besides, I didn't think a soul could hit so hard." I tried to laugh it off, but my chest felt tight and began to hurt when I laughed.

"Don't strain yourself." The silver head bent down close to me. "Your body is still trying to adjust to housing two souls."

"Housing two souls? Wait a sec, ARE YOU IN MY BODY?!" I cried.

"In a way." The golden head grumbled. "When you touched my soul, it entered your body. At least… the main part of my soul is."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"Completely absorbing my soul would have killed you. My consciousness and memories are all I have at the moment. The rest of my soul is surrounding you, like an aura, wanting to become whole again. Your own soul will soon adjust and let the rest of my soul in, but that might take some time."

"So… now what?" I really didn't think this through.

"I don't know. For now, let's just get used to each other. Fighting those people at your palace should do us some good, and you will be able to get used to your new powers." Solaria suggested.

"New powers?" I blinked, "Oh, right! My new transformation!"

"It is called Dragonix. You have bonded to Alake and your souls resonated just long enough to exchange some magic between the two of you. No matter how far away the two of you are now, you will always be able to call on him for help."

"That's great!" I do feel a strong connection to the golden-white dragon now. I'm glad he was the dragon I bonded with."

"Now, your partner's worried, along with your friend and grandfather. I believe it's time to wake up." Solaria's form began to dissipate. I closed my eyes and waited to wake up.

When I opened them again, I was pressed between Alake's foreleg and chest. He held me tightly as he hopped back through the maze.

"What… what happened?" I asked groggily.

"You're awake!" Alake looked down and sighed with relief. Carefully, he laid down and relaxed his grip on me. Bloom and Appollo jumped off of his back.

"Stella, we were so worried!" Bloom wrapped her arms around me. "What happened?"

"Well, for starters, I apparently absorbed Solaria's Soul." I began. "I'll explain later, but right now, we need to get back to the palace. The guys and girls are still fighting Chimera and the intruders.

"You have no time to waste, then." I was surprised to see Sunder following Alake closely. "Brother, I shall take your watch. Go quickly and fight with your fairy."

Alake was quiet for a moment, and then he stepped forwards and the two brothers touched muzzles. "Thank you, brother. I'll be back."

"No you won't." Sunder snorted. "This palace of glass is too small for you. Go and be free of your duties, and have fun."

I smiled at the heartwarming send off, and turned when a hand touched my shoulder. I turned and looked at my grandfather. "Go quickly on Alake. I don't have the energy to teleport us all back."

I looked to Bloom, and she gave me a warm smile. "Give them a battle they won't forget."

I grinned and jumped onto Alake's back. "Magic Winx!" I called out. "Dragonix!"

Alake lunged forwards as we transformed. We made it through the maze in record time. Once out of the walls of the glass palace, Alake spread his wings, and in one powerful beat, we went soaring into the sky.

"What's the plan when we get there?" Alake asked.

"We take 'em all out quickly so I can face Chimera head on with no distractions." I replied.

"That isn't a good plan."

"Well, do you have a better one?" I look down at him.

"I burst in and distract the intruders while you face Chimera."

"Okay. Make it big though. There are a lot of intruders, and a small fire display won't cut it."

"I can't breathe fire."

I stopped for a moment. "The how do you expect to distract everyone?"

"If they know what I am, they will be very distracted." He bared his teeth.

"Was that a grin?" I poked his shoulder blade. I felt his body rumble and assumed he was trying to hold in a chuckle. "Come on, you're making me nervous."

That was a lie. Ever since the second I met him, I was never afraid of him. Even when going into the challenge that would have decided who got the orb of Balance, he made me feel safe and worry free.

I was surprised at how fast he was, because before I knew it, we were already about to reach the palace. Several ships were locked in battle with multiple Solarian royal guard ships.

"What are those?" Alake asked.

I was a bit surprised at first, but considering the fact that he was a guard of the Glass palace in the middle of the desert for so long, I could see how he didn't know what a ship was.

"It's a ship. Humans use it to transport things, people, or to fight in." I explained.

"Do you think the intruders came on the ship?"

"Yeah." I raised an eyebrow.

"Then we should take them out first."

"Okay, then. Let's go!" I shouted. Alake replied with a battle roar, announcing our arrival.

We headed after the closest ship to us. Alake flew over top of it and dropped down, literally kicking it out of the sky. I could hear a distant cheer, and then screams of terror as the ship catapulted towards a crowd of bystanders.

I jumped off of his back and flew towards the crowd, putting myself between them and the ship. "Moon shield!" The ship bounced harmlessly against the shield and crashed to the ground.

I could hear people thanking me. "Get to safety, we'll handle this!" I called to them.

I waited for the crowd to scatter before returning to fight with Alake. All of the ships were now aware of whose side we were on, and two enemy ships were hot on Alake's tail.

"Alake, watch out!" I cried.

He looked behind him, and then let his wings catch the air, taking him high above and out of the paths of the two ships. He roared and stomped on another ship, sending it into a fountain below. "Be careful of the things on the ground too!"

"This is not the time to worry about nonliving objects." He huffed as I returned to his back.

"It was my favorite fountain to visit as a child." I shot back. He quickly dropped out of the way of another ship.

"… Fine," He grumbled. "I'll send them into that pond." He positioned himself above another enemy ship

"That's a lake." I corrected as he crashed down on the ship.

"Smallest lake I've ever seen." The ship plummeted into the water and Alake circled around for another.

"Have you even seen a lake before? You were living in the desert!" I turned and put up a shield as one of the enemy ships began to blast at us.

"There was an underground lake at the temple." He chased down another ship and began to descend on it as well.

"… so you've seen one lake? One lake and now you think that one's small?" I braced myself as he crashed down on this one, sending it straight into the other ship in the lake. "Nice shot."

"It was a big lake." He barrel rolled away from the last ship.

Instead of coming after us, the ship returned to the palace.

"What's it doing?" I asked to no one in particular.

"Probably going back for as many people it can carry." Alake growled.

"That ship can hold twenty people at most. If we get there fast enough, we can stop it and arrest everyone involved."

"Then let's hurry!" Alake dropped and snapped his wings open, gaining speed as we approached the palace.

"Let's make a great entrance." I said. I raised my hand and called forth an illumination spell. As soon as Alake crashed through one of the glass windows, I cast the spell. "Blinding sun!"

Alake's claws slid on the slick floors, creating a terrible sound similar to nails on chalkboard. He arched his back, spread his hood, and spread his wings menacingly. He then let out a hiss and extended two long fangs that glinted dangerously.

"It's a Pharaoh dragon!" Someone screamed.

I jumped off of his back and searched for Chimera. Alake was right about begin a good distraction without fire. I guess there's something about Pharaoh dragons worth fearing.

I finally found Chimera fighting Musa.

"Hey, Musa," I shouted. The turned and stared at me in shock. "My turn!"

A powerful sensation coursed through my body. I opened my mouth to scream, but instead, a loud roar echoed through the halls. I felt my wings change and my body become stronger. Pulling back my fist, I summoned a spell that would end all of this instantly. "Sun blast!"

I unleashed the spell and it collided head on with a surprised looking Chimera. The sounds of fighting slowly came to an end and I looked around to see reinforcements for the Solarian guard flooding into the halls. One by one, the intruders began to surrender.

I landed and began to search for my parents. My attention was soon diverted when I heard Alake roar in pain. I whipped around to see several guards trying to force him back out of the window.

"Wait!" I ran towards him and placed myself between the guards and Alake. "Don't hurt him! He's on our side."

"Stella!" I turned and saw my father running towards me. He quickly stopped though and stared at something behind me in shock. I turned to see the Winx and Specialists had forced their way through the crowed towards us but were now staring as well.

I turned to see what everyone was staring at, and was very surprised to see that my fairy wings had turned into golden dragon wings. "What the…" I could feel my heartbeat begin to slow down as I tried mentally grasp what had happened to my wings, but then they turned back to fairy wings. "What?"

" _Don't worry." Solaria's voice popped up in my head. "It's one of dragonix's abilities. When you get worked up, your wings will transform to dragonwings. In time, you will learn to control this transformation."_

No longer confused about my wings, I ran towards my father and mother, and wrapped them in a hug. "I'm so glad you're both safe!"

"I'm glad you're okay too, but I think you have some explaining to do." My father gave Alake a concerned glance.

Suddenly, all of the day's activities came down on me at once. "Yeah, I do, but maybe I can take a nap first?" That earned me an annoyed snort from Alake, but at the moment, I was too relieved that everything turned out okay to really care.


	8. Bonds

I know it's been a while and I'm sorry about that, but things have once again gotten hectic. And it's only going to get worse. I will be taking a break from writing all of my stories for at least two months. Not only is the SAT coming up (which is now mandatory in my school) but AP testing is also coming and I am really not prepared. I've also have quite a few other things going on that take priority over writing fanfiction, but the testing is the main reason why I'm taking a break. I just wanted to let you know so it doesn't seem like I just quit the story. I will never leave a story unfinished, no matter what. (It just might take me a while to do)

Also, I would like some input about the story. I've got a lot of things going on in this story and would like to know how you feel about them. Who's your favorite character? What do you think will happen next? How do you feel about the main plot and sub plots and which are you most interested in? I would appreciate it if you could take some time out and write your thoughts.

Reviews

BlazingEspeon33- thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter so much!

Anna- thank you again for all of your support! There are only going to be more cliffhangers to come, so I'm glad you somewhat enjoy/tolerate them now.

Winnagirl- I'm glad you enjoy the story so much, but there's gonna be a lot of waiting involved with this next chapter. I hope you stick around though cause it's only going to get better from here!

 **Also, to the person who went to my other story, Kaijudo Rebellion of the Duel masters, and asked me to update Dragon Soul 2-**

Don't do that again. I don't know if you are in both fandoms or not but seeing someone go to one of my other stories about a completely different show and asking for this one to be update in a review completely rubbed me in the wrong way. Again, I don't know if you truly enjoy both or not, but please don't ask me to update one story in a review for a different story. Just write two separate reviews.

Now, ONTO THE STORY

Bloom's Pov

Getting back to Alfea with Alake in tow was a lot harder than expected. Apparently, Pharaoh Dragons are incredibly rare and dangerous. Their venom is one of the most toxic reptilian venoms in all of Magix, so taking him off planet raised a few safety questions. We were lucky that Alake spoke English and could promise not to poison anyone, but there were still some concerns.

Being the fourth ruler of dragons comes in handy though. When I finally put my foot down and used my title as a persuader, he was allowed to go off planet.

It was also a tight squeeze to get him onto the Specialists ship. I feel bad that there isn't any way to make him comfortable, but teleporting him would cost a lot of energy, and we can't afford to do that with Kala searching for the next orb already.

"How rare are Pharaoh Dragons, anyway?" Musa asked.  
"We only live in the deserts of Solaria, and there are only five," Alake explained. "We aren't a territorial species, but we also have only one to two eggs at a time. We were almost hunted to extinction for out venom just a couple hundred years ago."

Stella suddenly jumped and squeaked in surprise. We all turned to look at her, but she simply stared off into space.

"Uhh, Stella?" Brandon walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

She blinked, and then shook her head. "Sorry, it's Solaria. He startled me when he started talking."

"What did he say?" Musa asked.

"Well, the golden head is being a bit impatient and wants to move on to the next planet as soon as possible. The silver head wants me to takes some time and explore my new powers and my bond with Alake." Stella replied, rolling her eyes.

"Both need to be done. None of us have ever had a connection like this before. Since this power has a name, there should be some information on it. We should head to Alfea's library for to research it." Tecna suggested.

"But we need to find the next Guardian as soon as possible." Aisha argued. "If Kala can simply take the dragon orb from guardians, then we need to get to them before she does."

"Sola said the next guardian we should look for is Zenith, right?" I said. "Tecna, do you know of any temples on Zenith the Guardian might be at?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't. There aren't many temples on Zenith to begin with, but given that all three guardian temples that we know of have been hidden away, I think it's safe to assume that Zenith's temple would be hidden as well." She replied.

"How about this," Stella spoke up. "Bloom, Tecna and Musa should go back to Glacial and ask Sola and Nyemaane about Zenith's temple while Flora, Aisha, and I check out Alfea's Library."

"Sounds good." I replied. I summoned the key to the Sky temple and got out of my seat. "With this key, we can get to the Sky temple from here. Let's get moving."

Tecna and Musa followed me to the closest door on the ship. I placed the key next to the lock on the door, and the door opened to reveal the portal room of the Sky palace. "We'll meet you guys back at Alfea, okay?" Musa said.

"Alright, stay safe." Flora answered.

We crossed through the portal, which quickly closed behind us, and I moved towards the planetary map to find Glacial.

"Hey, Bloom?" Musa began. "Meeting Kala at Solaria's glass palace might have been a coincidence, but if it isn't… How did she know she should have gone there?"

I paused for a moment. "I'm not sure I follow."

"Well, Sola said that going for the least strong Guardians first would help you contain the stronger dragon orbs. We know that because Sola told us, but what if Kala knows that too? I mean, we didn't even know which six planets still had Guardians, and Kala happened to choose not only one with a Guardian but the least powerful of the remaining six with dragon orbs? It seems a bit too perfect to me." She explained.

"…You're right." Techna began. "It's too perfect, but then again, we don't know how long Kala has been searching for the dragon orbs. I think it's safe to assume she was searching for Eraklyon's long before any of us knew he existed."

We stood there in silence for a moment, the revelation hanging in the air, unsure of what to do. She definitely had a point. It was a pure miracle she didn't get Eraklyon's orb. I found out later that once I opened the door, Eraklyon erupted from his keep and began his rampage. The only reason she couldn't get to him was because he had entirely lost himself in anger. "If she goes to Zenith's Keep next, then we'll know. He's the second one we need to see." I finally said. Musa and Tecna nodded in agreement.

A horrible feeling formed in the pit of my stomach. "We've just found out that you don't exactly need the dragon orb to acquire a guardian's power, the only reason why I have Solaria's is because he sacrificed his own power to give to me, what if Kala goes back for Eraklyon?" I worried aloud.

That brought all three of us to a stop. After a moment, Musa spoke up. "Maybe she doesn't know that can happen? I mean, Solaria sacrificed himself after Kala left, so she might not know that she could still acquire the guardian's power."

"I guess all we can do is hope that's true." Tecna looked down, "We also won't know if she really understands that there's an order to how one should retrieve the dragon orbs or if she knows where the guardian's hiding places are. I believe that we should assume she does know where they are right now, but consider it confirmed if she finds Zenith before us as well."

Musa and I nodded our heads in agreement.

We opened the portal to Glacial's temple and headed through. Sola and Nyemaane greeted us at the entrance.

"Mother, what has happened?" Sola asked, her voice was like an unsure child. "I can hardly sense Solaria anymore. Is he dead?"

I reached out to her and both dragons moved forwards at once, seeking comfort from me. I never in my life imagined that I would see them like this. They are usually so calm and sure of themselves, but now they were acting like scared children.

They both attempted to fit their faces between my arms at once and ended up knocking me down. "No," I attempted to soothe them. "He is not dead. He no longer has a body, but his soul lives on."

I ran my fingers through their manes and attempted to hush their soft wines. Something in me began to stir. Something that not only drove me to comfort them, but to shield them from harm. They may be thousands of years old, but as Solaria mentioned, the guardians were centuries apart. The guardian of Balance by no means appeared old, but he was much older than Eraklyon, who appeared to be in his prime. Sola and Nyemaane were the last of the guardians, so they must be infants compared to their siblings. Infants that are seeking comfort from their mother.

 _But I'm not your mother…_ I wanted to say. I'm not and never will be the great dragon, and she will never be me. What right do I have to claim her children and her name? All of these thoughts were in my head, but my heart denied them all. I want to comfort them and I want to defend them with the power I was gifted. The power their mother held.

"I'm really sorry," Tecna spoke up. I had completely forgot she and Musa were even there. "But we need to find Zenith. Kala has the ability to steal the dragon orbs from the guardians. She nearly killed Solaria from it, so we need to get to Zenith before she has the chance."

Sola and Nyemaane slowly stood up and shook themselves. Without a word, they led us back to the map of magix. Sola quickly located Zenith and turned back to us.

"Zenith was the smartest of all of our siblings. She was clever and hyperaware of everything around her. She is the Guardian of Energy." Sola explained. "She is also not very kind. She is cold and callous to outsiders and will not take kindly to any intruders in her keep, even if one is the reincarnation of her own mother."

I exchanged a glance with Tecna and Musa. "Okay, so do you know where her Keep is?"

"Her keep resides deep under the ground. We are unsure how deep, but she has not been seen on the surface of the planet in ages. She didn't even come when mother died." Nyemaane looked down. "I'm not even sure I know what she looks like."

Sola reached for Nyemaane, and when the two touched, the silver dragons began to recite a riddle.

" _When all is lost, nothing is destroyed_

 _When metal meets flesh, power is employed_

 _Both run the same way,_

 _But vital energy does not stay_.

 _It flows from one being to another,_

 _All returning to the power of the Mother"_

"I think that one is vaguer than the last." Musa shook her head. "I still have no clue how Stella figured out how the first one could help us."

"The riddles might not always make sense, but they are supposed to be that way to keep out unwanted guests." Sola shook her mane.

"Mother, I wish to show you something." Nyemaane said, moving away from us towards another tunnel opening.

"You guys head back to the entrance with Sola," I said. "I'll be back soon."

I followed her down the winding paths until we reached a familiar cave. I walked up to and placed a hand on the ice wall that trapped the silver dragon.

"Is something wrong with her?" I asked, concerned for the creature.

"She is changing. It is common for her species to have physical changes throughout their long lives, but I am afraid the ice is making the change difficult. I fear that if her body is not given the room to change as it naturally should, she might be injured."

"What can we do?" My voice shook a bit with worry.

"At this time, nothing. If we tried to free her, the mountain above her will collapse, and cause immeasurable amounts of damage to the ecosystem in the tunnels. All we can do right now is wait."

Stella's Pov

We were greeted by Faragonda when we arrived at Alfea. Bloom had called the headmistress before we left the planet, not wanting for us to just show up with a dragon and expecting that we could keep it at the school.

"Girls," She greeted us, and then turned her attention to Alake. "Arrangements have been made to create a shelter for you just outside the school walls. Now that you are here, we can measure you and create a home that is to your size."

"I thank you for your hospitality." Alake bowed his head to the headmistress.

"Headmistress, we need your help," Flora began. "Stella has achieved a new power called Dragonix. Since it has a name, we believe there might be some information about it somewhere. Do you know if there is anything about it at Alfea?"

"Hmm," The older fairy was silent for a moment, crossing her arms to think. "The form sounds familiar, but I am not sure where I've heard it before. If we have anything on it, it would be in the library."

"Thank you, headmistress." The three of us began to move forwards, but she stopped us.

"You two go ahead," She motioned at Flora and Aisha, "I must speak to Stella for a moment."

She looked up at Alake, almost as if she wanted to dismiss him as well, but he gave her a stern look, silently saying "I'm not moving an inch". She gave a small sigh, and then turned back to me. "Bloom told me about how you saved Solaria's soul."

"I couldn't let him disappear, Faragonda," I jumped to my own defense, "He is the guardian of my planet, of my people! I couldn't repay his actions by not lifting a finger to help him."

She raised her hands in mock surrender, "I never implied it was a bad decision. I just worry for you. Having such a power inside a small body is dangerous. There are legendary wizards who were killed because they stole too much magic and it began to destroy them from the inside out."

"But I feel fine, headmistress, I really do." I tried to reassure her.

"I'm sure you do. You have a new power, and a new connection, not only to a dragon but to a guardian as well. When you were coming here, I had several objects transfer to Alfea. One of which is this." Using her magic, she summoned a long staff. It wasn't even really a staff, but a straight gold stick. No decorations, no weapon, no nothing.

"Um, thanks?" I said, not sure of what to make of it as she placed it in my hands.

"It is a magical staff that can store a single soul inside of it. Few people have gotten it to work, but I believe if you and Solaria work together, he can live on inside the staff rather than your body." She explained.

" _The woman is only half right about the staff,"_ The sudden voice of Solaria's golden head startled me. _"The staff can't contain our soul, but it can take in the excess power that is hovering around you. Having external power like that is dangerous, so a place to store it will be helpful."_

" _I shall channel our excess power into the staff,"_ The silver head added. _"With time, you will learn how to call upon its magic and use it at your own whim."_

The staff began to glow as Solaria's power began to flood into it. It began to change shape as well. At the top of the staff, two dragon heads formed and looked away from each other, one silver and the other gold. The head's long bodies wrapped around the staff, and an amber colored stone was set just below the two heads.

"I shall call it the Staff of Solaria," I announced.

" _The woman is also right that we have bonded,"_ the golden head told me. _"We now share a body, even if I have no control over anything you do. My power is yours until the end of your time."_


	9. Crown's Weight

I'm back, and to apologize for the long wait, I have made this chapter a long one.

Anna- Thank you so much for being so supportive and I promise that I will not quit this story until the final chapter has been written and posted. Hopefully, someday soon, we shall learn the fate of the Silver dragon.

B.J- I am updating the story right now. I am glad you are so interested in my story and I am going to try really hard to keep posting somewhat regularly. The other girls will get their transformations in time, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story involving the dragon orbs.

Bloom's Pov

We returned to Alfea in the middle of the night. The other girls were already asleep, and apparently Griselda was too because we had no problem sneaking in. Our day had been quite eventful, so the three of us said goodnight and turned in as soon as we got to our rooms.

I was out cold as soon as my head hit the pillow. After everything that had happened, Stella achieving Dragonix and bonding with Alake, and then absorbing Solaria's power, I expected to have a deep dreamless sleep, but I was wrong.

I opened my eyes and found myself floating in space. It was oddly familiar though, like I had been in this part of space before. Eraklyon's name entered my mind, and I finally remembered. This was where we went after I defeated him. I never got the chance to really look around when I was with him. I was too distracted. Looking around now, I was dumbstruck.

We were in some sort of nebula. Puffy molecular clouds surrounded me, and through them the bright colors of space and other surrounding stars could be seen. I looked down at the ground to find that it wasn't ground at all, but another great cloud that emitted a faint glow. Below the cloud I was standing on, I could see several clusters of light forming within the clouds.

"This must be one of those star nurseries," I thought to myself. "It's so beautiful!"

Suddenly, a shadow cast over me. I looked up and couldn't withhold a gasp. The great dragon lazily floated right over my head and coiled her long body around a cloud above me. She slowly gathered up the cloud in her claws, and began to press it together, condensing the molecules inside. After a few moments, she let out a small breath of fire that engulfed the condensed cloud.

She flew down to my cloud and placed the now solid cloud down. I slowly approached the now solid object and realized it looked like an egg. Eraklyon's words suddenly came back to me.

" _This was our home. My siblings and I were born here, just as my mother was born here. This was the beginning of Magix, and it might be its end."_

Just looking at it now, I felt myself grow attached to the egg, and the life inside of it. Looking up to the great dragon, I could see my own feelings reflected in her eyes. I could see happiness, worry, and unconditional love for the new being that was now growing in the egg. Then, she looked at me.

As soon as I locked eyes with hers, I could see something new form in them. In her rainbow hued eyes, I could see sadness.

" _What's wrong?" I asked without thinking. "Why aren't you happy? You've just created a child for yourself, one to love and that will return your love, so why are you sad?"_

The great dragon didn't respond. Instead, she looked down. I followed her gaze and was surprised to find a tiny dragon who looked eerily similar to Solaria already break out of the egg. The infant dragon let out a small squeak, and the Great dragon lowered her head to nuzzle him.

I suddenly had a terrible feeling in my stomach. _Did she know what was going to happen to her son? Did she know that he was going to sacrifice himself for me? ... For her?_

I woke up before I got an answer. My face and pillow were wet. I had been crying in my sleep. I attempted to lift my hand up to wipe my eyes, but found that I couldn't. I tried to move my other arm and couldn't lift that one either. I felt a wave of panic rush through my body as I realized I couldn't move anything. My entire body felt like it was being weighed down by ten thousand bricks.

I wanted to cry out for help, but I couldn't open my mouth either. My body began to feel incredibly hot and my muscles tensed as something started burned in my chest. _What's happening to me?_!

The burning and the weight began to subside very slowly, and one by one I tested out the movement of each limb. It seemed to take forever before the feeling was entirely gone and I had full control over by body again. I was covered in sweat from the ordeal and my body wouldn't stop shivering.

Carefully, I unraveled myself from the blankets and slowly sat up on the bed, letting my legs hang off the end. I had to take a few moments to gather myself before trying to stand, but before I could get the courage, a fey dragon flew through my window.

The fey was the smallest I had ever seen, just barely fitting in the palm of my hand and was bright yellow.

"Inferno Bloom, There is to be a meeting between the rulers of Andros and Queen Tsunami. You have been requested to accompany the Dragon Queen by both parties. You are to meet with Queen Tsunami and escort her to the Palace of Andros this morning." The fey relayed.

"Thank you," I replied. "Who sent you?"

"King Enti, my lady." It bowed its small head. I had almost forgotten that the Sky Palace hadn't left Magix yet.

"Okay, then you can come with me to the Sky palace after I get ready so you don't have to fly back." I stood up without thinking and immediately lost my balance.

The small fey squeaked in surprise as I fell to my knees. "Inferno?!"

I took a moment to steady myself before getting back to my feet. For some reason, my body felt heavier. "I'm fine," I reassured the little fey. "I just lost my balance."

I took my time showering and getting dressed, trying to get used to the new feeing of weight on my body. Once I was ready, I left my room and told the other girls what was happening. I wrote a quick note and magically sent it to Faragonda to warn her of my sudden absence from Alfea.

Using my key to the Sky palace, I unlocked one of the doors of our room and headed into the Sky palace. The small fey flew off to let Enti know that I arrived while I headed off to my room to get an appropriate dress for a royal meeting and my crown.

Along the way, I bumped into Mink.

"Good morning, Bloom." Mink bent down to nuzzle my cheek. I wrapped my arms around his neck as best I could, but the young wyvern wasn't so young anymore.

Mink was big compared to me when I first met him, but now he was even bigger, almost four times taller than me and getting ready to rival most of the guard dragons in the sky palace. His body was also changing as he aged. He had lost some of his youngling fullness and was now gaining quite a bit of muscle in his limbs and neck. His smaller spines around his head were also falling out in favor of the larger ones that were growing even longer and thicker.

"Good morning, Mink. Out for your morning rounds?" I asked.

The Wyvern puffed out his chest with pride, and a small rumble came from his throat. "Yes. Perilous Blaze is still recovering from her broken leg, so I have taken over her rounds while she gets her strength back."

"She still hasn't healed yet?" I asked. I healed the break in her leg as best I could, but she still needed some time to stay off of it. A few weeks should have been plenty, not almost two months.

" _My daughter is working on recovering the strength in her leg."_ I could recognize Enti's voice anywhere. I turned to see him walking towards us with Bo just behind him. _"The meeting is to begin at midday. Bo shall accompany you to the Sea Palace and be your guard during the meeting."_

"I can take care of myself, you know. I'm not blind anymore." I crossed my arms. "Besides, I know the King and queen of Andros above water, and I know the ones below the water as well. There is no reason to send a guard with me."

" _This will not be up for debate,"_ Enti squared his shoulders. _"Terran, Abyss, and I all agree that there should be at least one dragon with you at all times during these meetings, just in case one of their own is dissatisfied."_

I didn't respond for a moment, confused by his words, but then I remembered an event that happened what seemed like ages ago. When I was nearly crushed and killed by a rival dragon who wanted usurp the throne from Enti. "Enti, the humans are not like dragons. A rival won't break down the doors and try to kill the rulers or me during the meeting."

" _I don't care. You are the only human emissary and Queen of the dragons. I must do my part to protect you."_

I opened my mouth to respond, but from the look in his eye, I could tell that I wouldn't be able to change his mind. Bo and I exchanged a glance. I finally gave in and after saying goodbye to Mink, Bo accompanied me to the Portal room and to the Sea palace to meet Abyss.

"Good morning, Bloom," Abyss greeted. "Have you eaten yet?"

We found her in the sea palace's dining hall with her mate, Tsunami, and their young. "No, but I'm not very hungry. When is this meeting anyways?"

"Soon. Apparently, the rulers of Andros do not like the fact that the sea palace is on Andros." Tsunami snarled. "Unbeknownst to them, the sea palace has resided on Andros since before the arrival of humans on this planet."

"I'm sure everything will turn out fine." I smiled at the dragon. Being an emissary shouldn't be too hard.

Stella's Pov

Bloom left so fast that we didn't have the time to tell her about everything we found. Tecna found an ancient book that mentions a special bond between dragons and fairies and referenced an old legend from Domino. We couldn't find it in the library, but while we were heading back to our room, we bumped into Daphne. We told her about the situation and she recalled an old story book that her nurse used to read to her as a child that might have the same legend.

The book was back on Domino, so she had to wait until morning to call her mother so she could teleport the book to Daphne. Just before we went to bed, Flora, Aisha, and I threw together a small hut for Alake as he didn't manage to dig out a complete burrow. I was quite surprised when he started digging at the ground just outside of Alfea's walls.

"In the desert, there are very few places to escape from the weather, so Pharaoh Dragons dig holes in the sand to escape from the sun and harsh sandstorms. When setting up a territory, we create multiple permanent dens by combining the sand with mucus to make a sort of mud that turns solid when dry." Alake told me.

Since Alfea isn't located in a desert, it was a bit harder for him to dig out a den as the ground was dirt instead of sand. After breakfast, I went to check on him and found that he was hard at work on his den.

"Hey, Alake!" I called out to him. "How long have you been digging?"

"All night." He answered as he brushed away a mound of freshly dug dirt away with his tail.

"All night?! Did you even use the hut we made for you?" I placed my hands on my hips, slightly annoyed that he didn't make use of something that took us almost two hours to find the supplies and build for him.

"Not yet." He said simply. "I just want to get this done now so I don't have to work on it later."

"So you're willing to deprive yourself of sleep just to make a place so you can sleep? Tell me I'm not the only one who sees the irony here." I joked, biting my tongue to keep from reprimanding him for not sleeping. "How about you take a break for some breakfast?"

"I am a Pharaoh dragon, Stella. I fly the deserts of Solaria nonstop for weeks at a time, only stopping to rest my wings. I can go days without sleep and even longer without food or water." He replied with a huff as he started pushing around the dirt outside the hole in the ground and creating a mound of dirt and plant roots.

"Well you're gonnna take a break in a while anyways since we might have found some information about Dragonix. Also, Codatorta from Red Fountain is coming with the boys today for some special dragon riding lessons."

"Codatorta? Red Fountain?" Alake finally stopped to look at me, tilting his head a bit.

"Red Fountain is a school like Alfea, but instead of training Fairies, they train Specialists, or more specifically, warriors. Codatorta is a teacher there, and he kind of specializes in both riding and fighting dragons."

"He fights dragons?" Alake questioned, his voice distorted by a growl, and his hood began to twitch.

My mind flashed back to Argus the dragon hunter and his encounters with Mink and Thanatos. I quickly raised my hands to calm him and corrected myself. "Not that way! He does what he has too to safely relocate dragons to better areas or capture injured ones to help treat them. There is also a program at Alfea where students help care for and fight with captive dragons."

Alake allowed his hood to settle, but his eyes were still narrowed suspiciously. "I shall be the judge of that."

He finally stepped away from his half done den and headed towards the hut. I watched him for a moment, and then called out to him. "What are you doing? I thought you were just going to get it done?"

"Digging through dirt and roots takes energy. I could continue, but I want to be at full strength when we meet this Codatorta." His lip raised in a soundless snarl as he settled down under the hut.

"Okay then…" I followed him into the hut. I was more than a little concerned for the Red Fountain teacher, but we had plenty of time before I had to seriously worry about that. Right now, I had bigger fish to fry. "Before you really get settled, let's head down to Lake Roccaluce, hm? All that digging has made your scales filthy!"

Alake raised his foreleg and looked at his dirt covered claws. From the tips of his claws all the way up to his chest, his scales were plastered with mud.

"I'll wipe it off in the grass or on a tree." He scratched at the dirt on his chest.

"No, as the partner of the most fashionable and beautiful fairy of Magix, you need to look just as good when we're out in public. You're white and gold scales are gorgeous, but not when covered in dirt and grime." I straightened up and looked at him evenly, placing my hands on my hips.

"I don't care about my appearance." Alake snorted and returned my stare.

I stood my ground, and after some time, I could see he was becoming either tired or annoyed. Finally, the dragon relented. I didn't even try to hide my pleasure at this, and led him to the lake, occasionally skipping along the way.

It took some time getting all of the mud out from under his scales, but eventually, he looked even cleaner than when I first met him. We returned to Alfea and found the girls and Daphne waiting for us.

"Stella, I got the book." Daphne held up a large story book with both hands.

"That's great! Have you found the story?" I cried as she flipped open the cover.

"The story is called _Silver Lady of the Lake._ It's an old legend about one of the Great Dragon temples on Domino, the Silver temple, to be exact." She found the story title in the index and then flipped to almost the end of the book.

"Silver lady of the lake? Isn't the story supposed to be about Dragonix?" Musa asked.

"Maybe the lady of the lake has something to do with Dragonix?" Flora suggested.

"Okay, found the page." Daphne announced. We moved to one of the benches and settled down. Instead of sitting with my friends, I instead chose to sit on Alake's foreleg. I enjoy being close to him, and based off of the almost inaudible purr he made when I leaned back on his chest, he enjoys being close to me too.

 _Many years before the Great Dragon died, she traveled all the worlds, keeping watch over the living things in her dimension. The People of Domino held the Great Dragon in the highest of regard and built three temples in her honor; Gold temple, Silver temple, and the Bronze temple. Underneath the silver temple lay a lake of melted silver. No one knows how the lake came to be, but the creators of the temple felt that it was important to the Great Dragon and built their temple over it to defend it. The people were right as the Great Dragon would visit the silver temple once every year and leave without a word. Ever since, the people of Domino held a special festival outside the silver temple so people could have a chance to see the great Dragon and show her that they were grateful for all she has done._

 _One day, not long before the festival, a woman with blazing red hair emerged from the lake of silver. Her true name was lost to time, but meant Silver Lady of the Lake after her unexpected arrival at the Silver Temple. The guardians of the temple took the woman in and taught her about their world as she had no memories of her own. When the day of the festival came, the silver lady took part in the festival along with the other guardians, but that year was unlike any other in history._

 _When the Great Dragon visited the temple, she locked eyes with the Silver Lady, and the two were immediately infatuated with each other. The Great Dragon lowered her claws, and the Silver Lady climbed on. The great dragon then flew away along with the Silver Lady of the Lake held gently in her great claws._

 _The two formed a strong bond with each other and witnesses of the Great Dragon's planetary visits often saw the silver Lady riding on the Great Dragon's back. Their friendship was unfortunately not to last, as just one year later, the great Dragon visited the Silver temple as usual, but the Silver Lady was nowhere in sight. The Great Dragon decreased her size and entered the temple for the first time ever even though she navigated the halls as if she had lived in the temple for years. She found her way to the silver lake and simply stared out across the silver surface. The Great Dragon stayed in that same spot for three days and three nights, before diving into the lake. She didn't emerge for another five days, and when she did, she quickly left the temple and never returned to any of the temples until her death._

Daphne finished the story, and we all sat in silence for a moment.

"So," Musa began. "Did the Silver Lady die?"

Daphne stared at the last page in silence, thinking. "Maybe. The Great Dragon did go down to the silver lake and stayed there for days. She might have been mourning her friend."

Tecna pulled out her phone and began searching for the story online. "Here, I've found an analysis of the story by several people. They all agree that no one probably knew what happened to the silver lady, so the author just made her disappear."

"That's quite the story," I began, "but what does it have to do with Dragonix?"

Another bout of silence followed. All of us stared at the book for a while, and I exchanged a glance with Alake, but he seemed clueless as well. Finally, Flora spoke up.

"Maybe…" She began slowly. "Maybe this was the beginning of Dragonix. The story mentions that they formed a strong bond. That bond might have been the first form of Dragonix."

"But Alake and I didn't bond through eye contact." I rested my head on my hands. "We worked through a puzzle and fought together."

"It is possible that the dragonix power has weakened." Daphne replied. "The Sirenix curse made the transformation weaker and incomplete. Dragonix was a power that was nearly lost to time. It could have weakened over the thousands of years of its existence and its lack of use.

" _The nymph is correct."_ I jumped at the sound of the golden head of Solaria's voice. _"Dragonix is older than most of my siblings. It has changed with the times, drawing fairies and dragons together as mother and the Silver Lady were drawn together. When dragons and humans began to split apart just before mother died, the dragonix power began to dissipate. I cannot recall any Solarian fairy with the power in thousands of years._

I relayed this information to the others, but before we could head off to do more research, the specialists and Codatorta arrived, each riding a domesticated dragon.

I could practically feel Alake's irritation at the presence of the other dragons without even looking at him. His entire body tensed at the sight of them and a low rumble came from his throat.

"It's okay, Al," I reached out and rubbed the underside of his chin, trying to calm him. "You know the guys, and they're handling the dragons."

The boys landed in the courtyard and jumped off of the dragons. I never realized how small Alake was compared to other dragons. Alake was about twice my size, one of his legs was just slightly taller than myself, but most of the other dragons I have encountered have been much taller than him. The domestic dragons were no different. They were much taller and slimmer than Alake and their wings were larger as well, but my partner has already taught me that size isn't everything.

Alake was built to live in the desert. His smaller body meant that there was less of him to feed, but he was also muscular to fend off intruders in his territory or the Glass palace. His scales were white and golden, perfect for reflecting as much sunlight as possible and yet blend into the golden, desert sand. He also is equipped with a secret weapon that gives him an edge in any fight; two sharp, venom filled fangs.

"So, this is the Pharaoh dragon I've been hearing about?" Codatorta crossed his arms as he approached us.

"Yeah," I stood up, "This is Alake. We've bonded and now I have a new power, Dragonix."

"It's always wonderful to hear of a new fairy power, but I'm not sure this power is a safe one. Dragons are dangerous creatures, and should not be pets."

I was about to reply, wanting to reassure that I knew what Alake could be capable of and will respect that, but was beaten to the punchline.

"I am not a pet." Alake spat as he slowly stood up and stretched his wings out, obviously trying to intimidate the Red Fountain teacher.

"…Right." I decided to move between Alake and Codatorta. "So, you wanted to help us with dragon riding?"

Fortunately, Codatorta decided to not to even try to talk to Alake anymore. "Yes, dragon riding is both a dangerous and difficult practice. Riding your dragon will be even more difficult as he seems to be a stubborn one. I can take his measurements and create a saddle for him so it will be safer to ride."

"No one will be placing a saddle on me!" Alake snarled, his hood quickly snapping open.

I turned around and glared at him. After a moment, he took his harsh gaze off of Codatorta and glanced at me. He was still unhappy, but he obviously saw my annoyance and decided not to do whatever was going through his head.

"I've already ridden him without a saddle, and Al really doesn't like the idea. We can go without." I crossed my arms.

Again, Codatorta didn't try to push the subject. "Take a moment to prepare yourself. We will begin as soon as I talk to Faragonda."

Just as soon as he was out of earshot, I turned on Alake. "What is your problem?!"

He flinched, and suddenly seemed to remember where he was. "Forgive me," Alake lowered his head.

I let out a sigh, "Listen, I know this is hard for you. This is your first time off planet, and you're anxious. I also know you're worried about the Glass palace and Sora. He's fine, remember? Also, there's no reason for anyone to go back there now since Solaria is gone."

He didn't move for a moment, and then slowly nodded his head. I gave him a smile and lifted my hand to touch his face.

"I have to say, Stella, I'm surprised how well you get along with Alake already." Brandon and the other boys walked over to us after securing their dragons.

"Really? I'm not sure close is the word." I crossed my arms and playfully turned my back on Alake.

"I see," Alake snorted, catching on quickly. "I suppose I shall return to Solaria's Keep then."

He turned to walk away, but I quickly turned around and jumped to hug his neck. I've known him for not even two days, and I already care about him so much, and I think he feels the same.

I let go of his neck and greeted Brandon while the other girls greeted their boyfriends, and husband. Sky seemed a bit lost, and I remembered that Bloom left this morning.

"Sky, Bloom isn't here. She left on official Dragon business this morning." I called out to him.

"Oh," He said simply. "When will she be back?"

"Well, if the meeting is just with my parents, then she should be back soon. If the meeting is also with my aunt and uncle, she might not be back till tomorrow." Aisha sighed.

"Oh," Sky repeated himself.

I couldn't help but see the irony of the situation. All of the times Sky disappeared for crown prince business and didn't warn Bloom had somehow come full circle. Sky is only a prince at the moment, but Bloom's a queen now. I have a feeling that he is now going to be the one getting left behind instead of the other way around.

We enjoyed each other's company while we waited for Codatorta to return. When he finally did come back, Faragonda was with him.

"Stella, since this power is so old, we have very little information about it. I shall observe your training, and hopefully, we will learn something about this new- ahem, forgotten transformation." Faragonda explained.

"Get ready, men. Wild dragons are not to be trifled with. Mount your dragons and prepare for some training." Codatorta shouted.

The guys jumped into action, running for their dragons. The sudden movement spooked Alake, and in turn, spooked me as well. Alake quickly lowered his right wing and I grabbed onto his right foreleg. He quickly lifted his leg, giving me enough momentum to jump onto his back.

"Magic winx, Dragonix!" I shouted.

This transformation was different. Alake no longer had the golden armor on his body. "What happened?"

"Is something wrong, Stella?" Faragonda asked.

"Alake had armor the first time." I explained, "But now he doesn't have any."

"I'm glad there's no armor. I hated the helm and the armor." Alake stretched his forelegs.

" _Dragonix responds to the users. Your anger gave you dragon wings, a dragon trait. Alake's desire to help and defend you gave him armor, something that humans created. But, Alake's distaste for the armor has made it disappear. He should still have its protection though._

I relayed this to everyone, and I could almost feel Alake's pleasure at this information.

"Okay, then, let's get started." Alake growled.

We waited until the guys and Codatorta had mounted their dragons and were in the air before taking off ourselves. There were seven of them and only one of us. We needed caution and strategy, and wow am I thinking like Alake now.

"Your take off was near perfect." Codatorta sounded surprised. "You kept your back in line with his and shifted perfectly with his turns."

"I did?" I didn't even realize I had moved. Everything I did just felt natural and mindlessly easy. "I guess I'm a natural."

"Or it's Dragonix." Helia suggested.

"Moving on, let's work on evasion." Codatorta made a few hand signals that I couldn't understand, but the guys obviously did.

They commanded their dragons to move in a very specific way. The seven dragons spread out and began to slowly circle us. They weaved around each other, probably trying to confuse Alake.

"What are they doing?" Alake asked me.

"Trying to confuse us." I replied.

Suddenly, I heard a quick snap, like someone had snapped their fingers, and all hell broke loose. Brandon and Helia rushed at us while Sky's dragon flew above us and prepared to unleash its fiery breath.

Alake and I acted as one. I moved my feet under his wings and locked my arms around Alake's neck just as he pulled his wings in and began to drop like a stone. Brandon and Helia pulled their dragons away, their charge had just been a distraction to keep out attention off of Sky, but we saw him as well.

Sky dove down after us. Alake snapped open his wings and I leaned forwards, shifting his weight to send us flying forwards. He tilted his wing to the right to turn, and I shifted with him, keeping him balanced and from turning too fast. Sky's dragon couldn't turn fast enough to follow us, so Thoren broke ranks to follow us. Nex and Timmy flew straight up into the clouds above us.

"They're going to herd us into a trap. The two above are going to try and cut us off." Alake growled over the wind.

"Then let's shake things up!" Without even telling him my plan, Alake acted with me. He made a hard left turn while Thoren continued his easy turn right and began to soar upwards. Breaking through the clouds, Alake and I were now above Timmy and Nex.

Out of nowhere, I felt a tingle on my back. Just after I noticed the sensation, a shadow covered us. Somehow Brandon had gotten above us and was now between us and the sun.

"Don't look up!" I shouted to Alake. Once again, he responded to me without direction and I responded to him.

He reared back, allowing his wings to catch the wind and slow himself down, while I adjusted accordingly to the new movement.

Unfortunately, neither of us had noticed that Sky had returned and was just behind us. Alake reacted faster than I could by barrel rolling hard to the right. I was thrown right off of his back and began spiraling downwards.

Before I could even try to straighten myself out, someone grabbed me out of the sky.

"Nicely done." Codatorta released me after I had recovered from the dizziness. "The two of you are remarkably in sync, but you'll need more training before you should go into any dragon riding battles."

Alake had returned and appeared very worried. I gave him a reassuring smile before flying back to him.

We trained for the next three hours, well, until the guy's dragons were exhausted. Alake wasn't kidding about his stamina. The other dragons were practically falling out of the sky while Al was still flying circles around them.

The dragons were so tired that once we all landed to take a break before the guys returned home they refused to move for the next four hours. By that time, there was no reason for the guys to head straight back.

We spent the rest of the day just hanging out in our dorm room while Alake left to continue digging out his den. It was pitch black out when Bloom returned using the portal room of the Sky palace. I was surprised to see that Bo had accompanied her, but after seeing the exhaustion on her face, I understood why he was with her.

"Welcome back, Bloom." Aisha was the first one to greet her. "How was the meeting?"

"Terrible. All four rulers are very concerned about the Sea palace residing on Andros. King Neptune tried to make Queen Tsunami make all kingdom dragons leave Andros and thought she was threatening him when she replied that Andros would suffer without the kingdom dragons." Bloom practically collapsed onto the couch next to Sky. "They've agreed to let the Palace stay for a short amount of time. They want to see if Dragons and Mermaids can coexist peacefully even though the dragons have been on Andros thousands of years longer than mermaids have been _and_ have been living right under their noses for hundreds of years!"

"But you have to understand their concern though," Aisha said. "Wild dragons are dangerous."

Bloom was in no mood to humor Aisha. "You were born and raised on Andros. How often had you heard of Dragon attacks on Andros?"

Aisha paused for a moment. "At least ten."

"And how old are you now?" Bloom challenged. Aisha didn't answer. "Dragon attacks are less common on Andros than shark attacks on all of earth, and the people of Earth aren't trying to force Sharks off the planet! Just because something is dangerous doesn't mean that it should be entirely removed from an area."

The room went quiet for a few moments. "Hey, Bloom, we found something that might be connected to Dragonix." I tried to change the tone of the room.

"Really?" That seemed to get her attention.

Just as Daphne handed the book to her, Tecna's phone went off. She looked at the screen and gasped.

"What's wrong, Tecna?" Timmy asked.

"Before we got back, Bloom let me scan her memories so I could get an image of Kala. I sent that image to the king of Zenith to warn him about her and put out a watch so we could know if and when she arrived on the planet." She explained.

"And?" I asked. The look she gave me answered my one word question almost immediately.

"Kala's on Zenith."


	10. Race to Zenith

I am so sorry for taking so long to get this chapter out. I would love to just give a bunch of excuses as to why I haven't been posting much of anything lately, but you guys deserve better than that. In all honesty, I've been getting a bit bored writing for Dragon Soul. There's still so much to do before this story ends and I can't wait to get to certain parts, but I've been this particular story for over two years now.

June of 2015 was when I started this story, my second story ever, and now I'm getting a bit bored by it. I want to start other stories, but I'm afraid that if I do, I'll leave something behind, and I don't want to do that. I also feel that if I post other stories, people will be upset that I'm not working on Dragonsoul instead.

I'm going to try my hardest to continue Dragon soul on a somewhat regular basis because I owe it to you guys to finish this story. I also want to quickly thank those who continue to leave sweet comments and remind me that people are waiting for me to finish this. Thanks and I'll try to make Dragon Soul as good as enjoyable as possible.

Guest- Thank you and I will

B. J- Another transformation will be coming soon, along with a new dragon. I hope you continue to like this story as more comes out!

Bloom's Pov

Despite my exhaustion, the reveal that Kala was on Zenith sent a new energy through my veins. The guys agreed to stay behind with Stella so she can continue training with Alake while the rest of us headed to Zenith. Bo was so worried about me that he refused to allow us to leave unless he came along as well.

Since we still had no idea where we were going, Tecna suggested an emergency meeting with King Cryos. After letting Faragonda know that we were leaving, Tecna opened a portal to Zenith. As soon as we reached the chilly planet, she made a call as we ran towards the city center.

"My name is Tecna and I need to have an emergency meeting with King Cryos." She paused for a moment, listening to the phone for a moment. "I- no listen! I AM CALLING ON THE BEHAF OF INFERNO BLOOM!"

I tripped over my own feet at her shout. Tecna gave me an apologetic look as she listened to whoever was on the other line. "Thank you so much!" She hung up the phone. "We're in. Better get your Inferno shoes on because as soon as we get to the palace, they'll be taking us straight to the king."

Tecna was only slightly wrong about that. We hadn't even reached the door before we were mobbed by guards and ushered right up to the council room.

"Inferno Bloom, what brings you to Zenith?" King Cryos welcomed us.

"A very important mission, your majesty." I began. "Someone is after Zenith's guardian dragon. We need to protect it."

"Of course. Unlike most planets whose guardians are in deep hiding, Zenith's guardian lives near the center of the planet and helps develop our technology. Her keep has been locked for ages though, and no one has been able to get in. She only communicates with the outside world through encrypted messages."

"Encrypted messages?" Musa asked.

"She makes us work for her assistance." He shrugged. "I can send her a request for help, but it normally takes years to get a response from her."

"Please send one." I asked. "We can try to look for a way to her keep in the meantime."

I hardly finished my sentence when Tecna's phone rang. She seemed surprised and she held it up to see who was calling.

"That's strange. I don't have this ring tone on my phone, and it isn't giving me a number for the caller!"

She answered it and put the phone on speaker.

[One who speaks on the behalf of Inferno Bloom, inform the Inferno that Zenith knows of her existence and is anxiously awaiting her in the Fulcrum. You are to guide the Inferno and her guard to the Keep. Directions shall be sent to you momentarily.]

Just as the message ended, the phone beeped, displaying the message from an unknown source. We exchanged glances with each other, unsure of what to do or if we should even trust the message.

"The Guardian of Zenith works in mysterious ways. I suggest you heed her call quickly." Cryos broke the confused silence.

"If the Guardian only wants Tecna, Bloom, and Bo to go, what should the rest of us do?" Aisha asked.

"Head back to Alfea, girls. There's still a lot we don't know about Dragonix, the Dragon orbs and Guardians, and about Kala and her group." Removing the sky palace key from my necklace, I gave it to Aisha. "We couldn't find anything about Dragonix in Alfea, so maybe the Sky Palace's library will have something."

"I hope some of the dragons will lend a hand. That library is huge and none of us are that familiar with it." Musa rubbed the back of her neck, remembering the last time we went searching through the library.

"I'm sure Cloud and the feys will be more than willing to help you." I said. The three of them headed to the closest door and waved to us as they opened the portal and disappeared, leaving Tecna, Bo, and me to find the Guardian.

Stella's Pov

I could hardly sleep with everyone gone. I understood that their mission might take some time and that I could be using that time to rest so I could start training early tomorrow, but their absence kept me awake. After tossing and turning in bed for an hour or so, I gave up and headed out to visit Alake.

When I reached his den, I was surprised that he wasn't still working on it. In fact, he wasn't around at all.

"Al?" I called out for my partner.

There wasn't a response for a while, but then a white dragon head popped out of the burrow. "Stella?"

"I'm sorry, were you sleeping?"

"No, I was just finishing up the inside of my burrow. Would you like to see?" I could tell he was lying. I'm not sure how, but I know he was asleep, and that he was inviting me in because he could feel my concern for my friends.

Climbing down into the burrow, I summoned a small light sphere and was quite surprised to see how spacious it was. There was a main "room" and two branching tunnels to two smaller "rooms".

"Woah." I breathed.

"Here," Alake beckoned me to enter one of the smaller rooms. I followed him in and watched as he settled himself down in the cramped space. By the look he gave me, I could tell he wanted me to settle down by him. I was far too exhausted to argue and welcomed the company, so I settled down between his long neck and foreleg.

Just being close to him settled my nerves. It didn't completely get rid of my anxiety, but it helped enough to allow me to finally fall asleep.

I knew I was dreaming when I opened my eyes. Instead of in the small cave with Alake, I was suddenly standing on top of a lake seemingly in space. In front of me, Solaria was watching the stars.

"Solaria, where are we?" I asked, standing up and instinctively dusting off my clothes.

"We are in your dream. Apparently, I have access to your dreams." The Gold head answered simply. A long pause of silence followed.

"So, what do you want to do? You can make me have some pretty crazy dreams, I'm assuming." I finally spoke.

"Tonight, we shall train." The two heads said at once.

I couldn't stifle a groan. I was exhausted enough as it was. I just wanted a good night's sleep so I could train more _tomorrow._

"Stella, dragonix is an ancient power. No books will be able to accurately describe your powers or how to use them. This is your tine to find out what you can do, and how far you can push yourself." The silver head spoke.

"Well then, I guess I should get started." I replied.

Solaria created several different water creatures for me to try out spells on. I was surprised how few spells I seemed to have, but the transformation made up for in in spell types. I had few attack spells other than Dragon's light, a stun spell, two healing spells, a defense spell, and then a tactical spell that allowed me to change a battle field to my advantage. I also had several other abilities that I found. My skin had become sensitive to light and shadows, which explained the sensation on my back when Brandon and his dragon were above us during training.

Many times during training, I searched within myself for more spells like I was taught, and I swear I can feel something else that was just out of reach. I could somehow tell it was a very dangerous and powerful spell, but I was so curious about what it was that I continued trying to use it.

"Stella, what are you doing?" Solaria asked me after I stopped practicing and simply stood there while I tried to grasp the spell.

"I know there's one more spell I can use, but I just can't get it." I let out a frustrated huff.

"I know." The golden head spoke.

It took me a moment to process what Solaria had said. "You- you know? How?" I stuttered.

"Remember, I am inside you. I can sense your powers and abilities. The spell you seek is dangerous and a part of Dragonix that should have been lost to time. Do not seek it out until you are ready." The silver head said.

"How will I know when I'm ready?" I asked.

"You will know. Now, it's time for you to awaken. If you ever want to train here again, just call for me."

I woke with a start. I turned and looked at Alake's sleeping face. He seemed so peaceful while he slept, but he was always so serious when he was awake. It was nice to see him this way. Reaching out, I stroked his cool cheek. His eyes opened and turned to me.

"Morning, Al."

"Good morning, Stella."

Tecna's Pov

By directions, the guardian really meant coordinates… that were on the other side of Zenith. Instead of wasting magic and teleporting to the coordinates, we took the underground train system. The trains on Zenith may have been the fastest in Magix, but that didn't stop Bloom from taking a quick nap. She seemed so exhausted this morning, and was even more so when she returned from Andros, but she continued on anyways.

When they arrived at their stop, Tecna was tempted to go on her own and let Bloom get some much needed sleep, but the red haired fairy woke up without help. Something seemed wrong though. When they stood up and left the train, Bloom seemingly couldn't catch her breath from the minor activity.

"Bloom, are you okay?" I asked her.

"I'm fine, just really tired." She replied.

"Are you sure? Bo and I can handle this if you need to head back." I reassured her.

"No, I'm okay. Besides, I don't know if she'd give you the orb, or if you would be able to handle its power." Bloom took a deep breath and walked just ahead of us. Bo and I exchanged a worried look.

 _I don't know if you can handle its power._

Bloom has two dragon orbs in her possession. One from Eraklyon, and another from Solaria. A single orb is said to have immense power, and Bloom already held the Dragon Fire within her, so who knows if her body will be able to handle another dragon orb.

We finally arrived at the coordinates and found absolutely nothing. Surprisingly enough, the coordinates brought us to an old park that was overgrown with some of the few plants Zenith had.

"There has to be something around here that Zenith wanted us to find." Bloom said. "Let's look around."

The three of us spread out and began to scour the area. Bo always kept Bloom in sight though. Her exhaustion was obviously worrying him as well as me.

After some time, the three of us returned to the spot that the coordinates specifically sent us to.

"Nothing?" Bloom sighed, obviously getting frustrated.

"I think we're going about this in the wrong way. The coordinates sent us to this exact spot, so what we're looking for must be right here." I began to look around us from where we were standing. I took a step back and looked at the ground.

At first glance, it was just a metal platform that was overgrown with grass and vines. I looked away, but then something caught my eye. I had to do a double take and knelt down. Brushing away some dirt, I uncovered the rest of the symbol that had caught my eye.

"The crest of Zenith." I said, drawing the other two's attention to the symbol. "Help me clear everything away from this.

Bo swiped away most of the vines and dirt with his tail while Bloom and I pulled away weeds and other natural materials. When we were done, we had uncovered an ancient warp pad.

"We might be able to use this to get to Zenith's keep." Using my powers, I began to try and reactivate the warp pad.

The technology was ancient by Zenith's standards, but still incredible none the less. I could sense that it ran on hydroelectric power and that it warped magic instead of space, which made for an effective use of energy and is probably how it isn't more run down than it should have been considering how old it must be.

After some tinkering, I managed to get it up and running. Using my phone, I ran a program that digitally mapped the warp pad's route. It only had one, which ran close to the center of the planet, confirming my suspicions.

"This is it. Once I activate this, it will take us to the Fulcrum, Zenith's keep." I exchanged a look with Bloom.

Exhaustion and worry was written all over her face, but she gave me a short nod. The three of us stood on the warp pad. I activated it and the pad hummed with life. I could feel it warp magic around us and the setting of the park disappeared and was replaced with a massive bunker in a cave.

"This is it." I said. "Zenith's keep."

Bloom took a deep breath, and then sighed. "Let's do this."


	11. Zenith's Keep

I hope you all had a fantastic holiday season and are now having a great new year! I am going to make a new year's resolution to be more consistent with posting chapters for both of my main stories and try to go back to some ones I've left behind. I really want to finish as many stories as I can this year and you guys can hold me to this. Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

* * *

Bloom's Pov

The Keep was a massive cube that hung over the core from several large cords. There didn't seem to be any way to enter the cube, but when we approached it, a blue square began to glow.

The square opened up like a window and an unusual looking dragon crawled out of it. It had a long, orange body with a spiky purple mane that was seemingly cut into two Mohawks that traveled down its neck, and also had a tuff of spiky purple fur on the tip of its tail. Its face was very fox like and it had large ears. Its eyes were the same purple as its mane and it had six legs. Two sets acted like walking limbs while the last set, which was close to its first set of walking legs, seemed to be for carrying and grasping, like arms.

It let out a series of squeaks and clicks at us. Tecna and I exchanged a look before turning to Bo. Catching the hint, Bo stepped forwards and bowed to the dragon. It bowed back, and listened intently as Bo grumbled something in his dragon language, explaining our situation.

The orange dragon cocked its head to the side after Bo finished his explanation, and I was afraid it didn't understand him. Suddenly, the dragon bolted back into the Keep.

"Do you think it understood you?" Tecna asked the black dragon.

"I am not sure. That dragon is of an ancient breed. It cannot use eye speech even though it is one of the most intelligent dragon species there is. It can barely even roar." Bo explained.

Just as Bo finished, there was a low hum. We looked back to the keep and found a blue rectangle begin to glow on the metal near the ground. It opened up like a pair of double doors to reveal the orange dragon standing in a dark hall.

It squeaked at us and beckoned us to come inside. The three of us exchanged another glance before following it inside. The doors closed behind us, temporarily leaving the hall devoid of all light. Slowly, small, green, lights began to flicker on, giving the hall a new, eerie feeling. The orange dragon began to walk farther into the dark hall, lights turning on as it continued deeper into the Keep. When we began to follow it, the lights we passed turned off behind us.

Without the ability to see where we were going and where we have been, coupled with the eerie green lighting and nothing but the sounds of our own footsteps echoing through the Keep, I was rightly getting freaked out. Looking to Tecna, I could see my same fears reflected in my own eyes. Wanting a little reassurance, I reached out to Bo.

" _Bo."_ I just needed to hear his voice.

" _Inferno, are you frightened?"_ He asked.

" _Yes. This place is freaky."_

" _Is it? Do you sense something is wrong?"_

I paused for a moment. Nothing felt wrong with the place, it was just visually freaking me out. _"No, the look of this place is just putting me on edge."_

" _I assume this is for a reason though. What foe would want to enter such a place, if they could enter in the first place? I imagine that if we did not have our guide, we would be hopelessly lost by now."_

" _Yeah. I just wish our guide could ease our worries."_

The orange dragon led us to a dead end, or so it seemed. It let out a series of squeaks that activated several small glowing keypad. It quickly typed out a code and a screen lit up. As a kind of loading screen, an old symbol began to glow on the screen. Remembering what happened in the last Keep, I moved forwards. Reaching out, I lightly touched the symbol and a feint voice appeared in my head.

" _The symbol of Zenith means energy. We survive off the flow of energy in the universe. Even machines must have energy to survive, and the knowledge of that energy will allow us to find out how to use it best. To make the most out of what we have."_

"Zenith, Dragon of Energy." I called out. The entire screen flashed for a moment and the symbol finally faded from the screen. Replacing it, there were several images and old dragonian symbols. The images were a water droplet, a leaf, a stick figure, a lightning bolt, a plus and minus sign, and the great dragon.

"Bloom, what do the symbols mean?"

"The symbols correspond to the images." I began to point them out. "Water, Plants, animals, human, electricity, energy, and the last one can mean either mother or Inferno. I don't know what this pattern is though."

"It's like a circuit board. It's not complete though. There are several gaps that would keep energy from going through it. Wait a sec…" Tecna trailed off, putting on her thinking face.

The orange dragon stepped out of her way as Tecna moved closer to the board.

"When all is lost, nothing is destroyed

When metal meets flesh, power is employed

Both run the same way,

But vital energy does not stay.

It flows from one being to another,

All returning to the power of the Mother"

Tecna repeated the riddle to herself a few times and scanned over the images.

"What is she doing?" Bo asked.

"She's thinking."

After a few moments, she snapped her fingers. "I've got it!" She pressed a finger to one of the images and dragged it off the screen. "Energy runs the same way in a closed circuit like this! These images are a timeline of life in Magix. A timeline of energy moving in one way, flowing from one being to another, that all returns to the mother!"

She dragged the images of the water droplet to the first gap in the sequence, then the plant in the next, then the human, then the lightning, then the plus and minus, and finally the dragon. A tone sounded somewhere behind the wall and green powerlines formed into the shape of a door next to the screen.

"Good job, Tecna!" I cheered.

The doors opened to a huge, white room filled with screens and cords and all kinds of large electronics. The three of us entered in complete awe. When I glanced over at Tecna to make sure I was seeing things right, I was convinced she was about to start crying out of wonder.

"This place is… Incredible!" She breathed.

"This place is the Fulcrum. All technology created by Zenith is connected to and has versions stored here." A feminine voice from behind us said.

The three of us turned quickly but found ourselves staring back at the dark hallway we just left, but no one was there. The orange dragon made a clicking sound, attracting our attention, and pointed above the hall. We found that the hallway we just exited was part of a large staircase. A few steps up, we saw the feet of something massive.

The guardian dragon Zenith stood on two legs and was incredibly similar to Bo. Her body was a desaturated purple with black circuit board markings. On her forearms there were electronic devices with small screens and keyboards. She had two eye pieces that had green screens. Like the orange dragon, she had two lines of hair that stood out tall and were a vibrant, almost neon green. Her eyes were also bright green and her green dragon orb was set into her forehead.

"Welcome, keeper of the Dragon Flame. I know my siblings may call you mother, but I am not them. You hold her powers, not her mind, even if you are her reincarnation." The dragon spoke.

Straight forward and blunt. She reminds me a bit of Tecna when I first met her. "I would never ask you to call me that, Guardian. Do you know why we are here?"

"You seek my power. The Orb of Energy is not something I can give freely though." Zenith replied.

"I know. Solaria explained that I or someone else must go through a trial to earn the orb." I watched the dragon closely, waiting for a response.

"But you will not be able to attempt this challenge." The dragon finally spoke.

 **Tecna's Pov**

"What? Why not?" Tecna asked.

"You know why, Tecna, daughter of Magnethia and Electronio. Look at your friend and tell me she is not about to fall from exhaustion. She hasn't the energy to attempt such a challenge."

'No I'm not!" Bloom quickly retorted. "I feel fine."

She looked over at me for support, and I couldn't give her any. Even now, as fired up as she was, her eyes were glazed with exhaustion and her posture continued to shift from a tired slouch to a forced stiffness as she tried to keep herself awake and moving.

"Bloom, you really need to rest. Give your body a break for a while. I can handle this." I moved closer to her and placed my hands on her shoulders. Looking straight into her eyes, we had a short stare off. After just a few moments, she closed her eyes and sighed.

"Alright. Bo and I will stay here. Just be careful, okay?" She opened her eyes and gave me a concerned look.

"I will."

Turning away from Bloom, I stepped before the great staircase and looked at the Guardian of my home world.

"My assistant, Tufan, will guide you through your challenge. Climb upon his back and you shall begin your trial." Zenith motioned towards the orange dragon.

 _So, Tufan is his name? It doesn't seem very fitting._ I thought to myself. The dragon approached me and looked into my eyes. It's purple eyes seemed to flash for a moment and a series of numbers flashed into my eyes.

" _01001000 01100101 01101100 01101100 01101111 00001101 00001010"_

Binary Code? I didn't know any dragon could know it… let alone communicate with it.

"Hello to you too, Tufan." I unconsciously reached out my hand for a handshake. Right before I realized the absurdity of my gesture it reached out its own and took my own.

It let a series of happy cackles when it released my hand and turned to allow me to climb on his back. Tufan wasn't a very tall dragon compared to the others I have seen, the top of its back reached just below the bottom of my ribs, and its head was just over a foot above my own. It knelt down slightly to make it easier for me to climb on.

"If you are ready, I shall send you to your challenge." Zenith watched me.

I was a bit nervous, but ready for the challenge. Looking down to the dragon, I said. "I'm ready if you're ready."

" _01010010 01100101 01100001 01100100 01111001 00001101 00001010"_

Another series of numbers flashed in my head, and I quickly translated it as 'Ready'.

"You shall be sent into the challenge now." The Guardian typed something out onto her wrist board and a strange light enveloped me.

"Good luck, Tecna!" Bloom called out to me as everything disappeared from my sight.

When the world once again formed around us and the light disappeared, I found myself in a small room with a large computer.

"So, what are we supposed to do?" I asked the dragon.

No series of numbers flashed into my head. He just simply turned his head and watched me intently. With nothing else to do, I jumped off his back and made my way to the computer. I closely examined the computer and found the power button. I pressed it and the machine hummed to life. A screen in the wall flickered on and I stared at the image on the screen in shock.

 **Aisha's Pov**

Our search in the Sky palace's library was once again yielding little results. With the help of the Feys and a few other dragons, we pulled hundreds of books about bonds with dragons, ancient fairy transformations, and about the Guardian dragon. Even though we found so many books, we either already knew what was written or had no use of the information given.

After a few hours of reading, Flora called us over to her table. "Guys, I found something interesting."

"You got something? Awesome!" Musa excitedly jumped up from her table and followed me over.

"It isn't anything really useful, but it is worrying." Flora flipped back a few pages. "This book is about magical objects, and it mentions the Dragon orbs. There's an excerpt of an old diary by a mad Sorcerer about what happened to his mentor when he stole part of a dragon orb from the guardian of his home world."

"A mad Sorcerer?" I echoed. "How can we know this wasn't just a delusion?"

"The book says the sorcerer went mad during the end of his lifetime. This happened when he was still a student of an undetermined age." Flora reassured me.

"Well then, let's see what he had to say." Musa settled down at the table next to the nature fairy.

" _Day 1,376 of Apprenticeship._

 _Master Meremoth has accomplished the impossible. He successfully taken a piece of power from the Dragon orb! Everyone said it was impossible and that the Guardian would kill him for such an insult, but nothing's happened. The Guardian of our planet is Amos, dragon of Strength. My master and I stole into his keep while the beast slept, and kept him asleep with a powerful enchantment._

 _The orb was set into the dragon's empty, right eye socket. Legend says that he lost that eye during a bet with Zenith when he was young. When the Great Dragon was dividing her power, she forced Zenith to return the eye and turned it into Amos' dragon orb._

 _Master Meremoth was able to get close enough to_ _ **touch**_ _the orb and pull out some of its power. Just as we were leaving with our boon, the entire keep began to shake, but we were not pursued._

"So this Meremoth guy stole part of the Guardian's power just like that? Man, maybe Kala isn't that special for stealing the Dragon orb." I leaned back in my chair with a somewhat relieved sigh.

"No, that's not the end of it." Flora shook her head and turned the page. "It gets much worse. The book skips a few entries to about ten days later."

"How bad can it get?" Musa asked. Flora didn't respond, she just continued reading.

" _Day 1,386 of Apprenticeship_

 _Master's condition has gotten much worse. He has visions of dragons and stars that make him cry out and cause him immense pain. He had to rest early yesterday morning because of his now constant exhaustion, and he just woke up this evening. I sat by his bed for hours to make sure he didn't die in his sleep, but every time his breath faltered, his eyes would flicker open for a second and appear to be glowing. It was as if something wasn't letting him die._

 _I believe that something is the Dragon orb. The first few days he was able to do so much. His body was energized beyond belief. He could cast impossible spells back to back and went two days without sleeping, but now it's as if all that expenditure has finally caught up to him. I fear that is body is unable to contain such a power, and that the longer he holds onto it, the worse he will get."_

We sat in silence as Flora finished the entry and flipped the page again. Before she could start reading, Musa spoke up.

"So the power from the dragon orb is killing him, but keeping him alive at the same time? How is that possible?"

I sat quietly for a moment. "… Maybe the power was just too much for his human body. The Guardians are immense dragons and even they keep that power contained in a physical orb imbedded in their body. Also, According to Stella and Bloom, Solaria aged as soon as his orb was taken away. Maybe the orb grants immortality or some kind of longevity?"

"If that's the case, then Bloom should be dead by now, or something close to it. This Meremoth went downhill because of the power in ten days, and he only took a piece of its power. Bloom has collected an entire dragon orb _and_ the power of a guardian in just a month." Musa stated.

"That's what worries me." Flora held the book a bit closer to her. "Maybe Bloom is handling the power well because of the Dragonfire, but who's to say she'll be able to handle more power? Right now, she and Tecna are searching for another orb, but what if she can't handle a third immense power? And what about that other girl, Kala? She stole the orb of balance, so she should be feeling something similar to what Meremoth went through, yet she still managed to continue and make it all the way to Zenith."

Worry enveloped the room and none of us seemed to have any words to reassure each other with. Finally, Musa spoke up.

"Is there another entry?" She asked.

Flora nodded and continued to read.

" _Day 1,388 of Apprenticeship_

 _Meremoth is dead. Amos killed him. I was watching over my master while he slept when he suddenly began to shout. He sat up fast and threw himself out of his bed. I tried to help and calm him, but he shoved me away and stumbled out of his room. I followed him, calling his name and trying to wake him out of whatever nightmare held him._

 _He somehow maneuvered through the house in his frenzied state and threw open the front door. He collapsed after taking about three steps out of the house. When I reached his body, I found that it was much too dark out. Our planet had four moons, and all were full on this cloudless night. Looking up, I found the reason as to why my mentor and I were enveloped in shadow._

 _There, right before our small home, was Amos. His immense, serpentine body blocked the light of the moons as he loomed over us. His black orb glinted in the moonlight and seemed to consume my vision. I could not look away from it._

 _I knew why he was here. To retrieve the power we had stolen. Unfortunately, I was wrong. The Guardian spoke to me. 'Let this be a lesson,' he said. 'Those who steal from the power of Amos shall be doomed to die because of it, but their bodies shall never change. They shall never awaken, yet they shall never think again. Their mind has been consumed by me, and shall be tormented till the ends of eternity!'_

 _I will never forget his words. He left me and my now motionless and lifeless master alone, slithering off to the hole it had come from. I will never forgive him. He ended my apprenticeship to one of the greatest sorcerers on this planet. I shall make it my goal to save my master. I will rescue his mind from the Guardian's grasp and return it to his body. I will save him. I will save Meremoth."_

"Woah, that was…" Musa trailed off.

"Intense." I finished.

"The section ends with that the mad sorcerer did all he could to save Meremoth. Just as he was about to make a breakthrough, there was a rush of magical energy all throughout the planet Amos, and he knew that the Guardian had returned to the flame. The loss of his life's goal is said to be what caused him to go mad in the end. Meremoth's body is kept at a temple on Amos and is heavily guarded." Flora added.

We sat quietly for another moment, before I had a thought. "Wait a sec. This mad Sorcerer wanted to free his mentor from the Guardian Amos, so he must have put a lot of time into studying the Guardian. Maybe we can find his research and might have some information on them and the dragon orbs that we can use?"

Flora flipped to the back of the book. "It says that more information on Meremoth and the Mad Sorcerer resides in the temple of Amos. Maybe they'll have his research there along with Meremoth's body?"

"I think that's our best place to look next." Musa replied. "Even if they don't have it, we might be able to learn something about Meremoth and the effects the Dragon orb had on his body."

"Alright," I began. "Let's finish looking here and then head back to Alfea. We can regroup with Stella and try to contact the temple while we wait for Tecna and Bloom."


	12. Zenith's Trial

**Guest-** maybe

 **Bloom's Pov**

Zenith was a surprisingly good host to Bo and me once Tecna was gone. She knelt down and offered her large hand to the two of us. We climbed on and she carried us to another part of her keep that seemed to be more of a bedroom than a lab, but was still filled to the brim with electronics. When Appolo and I were left with Solaria, the dragon simply bickered between its two heads while we waited for Stella and Argus to finish their test along with Kala and the old man.

Both Appolo and the other man did their best to keep the two of us from each other, but it was all for nothing in the end. The other man was physically blocking Kala's view of me until she shoved him out of the way. The moment I locked eyes with her, all bets were off.

Something a kin to rage suddenly burst within my chest as I began to gather energy in my clenched fists. Kala surged forwards and I prepared to match whatever blow she was going to throw at me. Appolo immediately threw up a shield in front of me, but something in me knew it didn't stand a chance against either of us in this state.

I could feel pure negative energy surge out of the woman as she approached me with nothing but hatred in her eyes. The same feelings probably reflected in my eyes as I opened my mouth to unleash a battle cry. It never got past my lips though. Solaria's great claws slammed down between us, completely severing eye contact and throwing both of us off balance. Unfortunately, while he knocked me back to my senses, he did the opposite to Kala.

The woman turned her attention and all her negative energy towards the Guardian rather than me. I wanted to stop her, but Appolo used his magic to chain me inside of the shield he had created and went ahead by himself. I watched Kala attack Solaria with a blast of black fire and how she unleashed a shadowy claw that sank into the chest of Solaria, right between the bases of his necks.

The cry Solaria gave out as the power from the Orb of Balance was ripped out of his chest broke something inside of me. All I wanted to do was protect him and get rid of anything that could hurt him. And that's exactly what I did. The power in my chest surged again and I cast out a spell that surrounded Kala and the man. In an instant, I teleported both of them away.

The memories of the battle sent a shiver down my spine, especially the thoughts of how easily Kala brought out emotions I shouldn't have. I have been in the same room with her twice now, and each time extreme emotions that often contradict each other and confuse me even more. Thinking of her now, I felt myself reach out.

Tecna said that Kala was spotted on Zenith. She had scanned through my memories, took a picture of the woman's face, and sending it to Zenith's authorities in order to get a step ahead, just in case, but this was a bit much. It took a long time for her to get to Eraklyon, yet she found Solaria just as fast as we did.

Reaching out, I could sense she was close. My chest tightened as I realized how close she was. "Zenith, I need to speak to you about something." I looked up at the guardian.

"Yes, Inferno. I know the thief is coming. I've known ever since your friend put her on the planet's radar. Unfortunately, it has been proven that there is nothing I can do to stop her."

"Why not?" Bo asked. "You are a Guardian Dragon. The planet is named after your greatness. How can you not defeat a simple human?"

"Even now, I can sense that she is different. In a way, she reminds me of you." Zenith looked down at me, the lenses of her eyepieces moving so there was nothing between me and her bright green eyes. "If I didn't know better, I might have mistaken her power for yours. Even in such a small form, the Dragon Fire knows itself. My orb will not fight the origin of the Flame, or anything similar to it."

"But we have to try something!" I cried, beginning to panic as I sensed that Kala was drawing closer.

"Bloom, there is nothing that can be done by me, and you certainly should not do anything against her. Pitting such similar powers against each other is dangerous. Nothing should rival the Dragon Fire in the first place, but if you use your infinite power against another seemingly infinite power, nothing good will come of it." The Guardian looked to Bo. "You, last of the Zenithian dragons, defend Inferno well. I shall greet my guest once she arrives."

Zenith put us both down onto a large table and then pressed a few keys on the keypads on her wrist. Before I could say anything a force field surrounded the table.

"Wait, Zenith!" I shouted after the dragon as she left the room. Once she was gone, the lights turned off, and the only light available was the green glow of the force field.

 **Tecna's Pov**

My mind completely comprehended every symbol and number on the screen, what I couldn't comprehend, though, is how such a terrible thing happened. On the screen, were several charts on the energy distribution of Zenith. All energy that runs the planets many electronics came from the core, and for some reason… the energy output was alarmingly low.

"How could this have happened?!" I glanced at Tufan, hoping for an answer, but he just gave me a blank stare.

Suddenly, I heard a feint beeping. Looking down at the keypad, one of the buttons was flashing. Before I could even guess what it did, Tufan reached forwards and pressed it. A holographic screen opened up next to us and Zenith's face appeared.

"This is your test, Tecna. Zenith is in grave danger if you do not find the solution to our energy crisis or distribute what we have wisely, our planet will be thrown into chaos and lives could be lost. I leave this up to you." I couldn't even get a word out of my mouth before the screen turned off, leaving me alone with the orange dragon once again.

Looking back at the screen, I cried. "Why isn't she handling this?! This could be a disaster if I mess one thing up!"

" _01001001 00100000 01100010 01100101 01101100 01101001 01100101 01110110 01100101 00100000 01101001 01101110 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101"_ A series of numbers ran through my head, which I translated as 'I believe in you."

I turned to the orange dragon for a moment, watching his genuine, violet eyes. "Thanks, Tufan."

I smiled.

He gave me a toothy grin in return, and he looked so silly that I couldn't help but chuckle. Feeling just slightly better from his encouragement, I stretched my arms and cracked my knuckles, letting out a short breath. I examined all of the numbers on the screen carefully, purposefully ignoring the symbols until after I figured out how the little energy we had was divided up.

The core was releasing only 48% of its normal energy output, a dangerously low amount for a planet such as Zenith. Normally, the people stored away 30% of the usual output and divided up the rest evenly between necessary functions for the planet. Functions such as electrical power for lighting and appliances for households, the little farming and agricultural equipment the planet had, emergency services equipment and natural disaster warning devices… the list went on and on. There were so many functions that kept the citizens of Zenith safe and cared for that were necessary yet there were other functions that were also valuable too, such as research in mechanics, new energy sources, and medicine. Those functions weren't exactly necessary, but they were important as well.

"There's no way I can balance the energy coming from the core to all of these functions." I finally relented. "I think we'll need to go for a temporary fix."

I looked to Tufan for reassurance, and the dragon was no longer looking at me or the screen, but was very interested in the fur on his tail, completely ignoring me.

" _01001001 00100000 01100010 01100101 01101100 01101001 01100101 01110110 01100101 00100000 01101001 01101110 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101"_

"'Do what I think is best?' That's what I'm doing!" I felt completely overwhelmed at this task. Billions of people relied on the technology they created and that were energized by the core. Pulling up some statistics on the screen, It was alarmingly clear that the core was eventually going to stop giving out power or just die all together, leaving the now technology reliant people with countless problems. Even with the stored energy, they would only have so much time with that resource.

Finally, I had an idea. "If the core is the problem, that's the first place I should check for problems! But first…" I began rerouting power as best I could. All functions that were not necessities were shut down. I kept all functions regarding the welfare of the people and research into new energy sources. "That should be good for now."

Using my tecnopathy, I communicated with the computer and brought up a map of the lower levels and Core of the planet. I also tried to find a map of the Fulcrum, but nothing came up.

"Tufan, can you lead me out of here so I can get to the core?" I turned to the orange dragon.

He jumped up and pushed me out of the way. Tufan typed something out on the keyboard. A door opened up just behind us and the dragon quickly hopped over to it. Placing my phone on the screen, I downloaded the maps and the statistics from the large computer. After it was finished, I followed the dragon.

Tufan led me through the dark, winding halls before we reached what appeared to be another dead end. Standing up on his back legs, the long dragon reached for a small panel next to a lever. He quickly typed in a short code and pulled the lever down slightly. A rectangle on the wall began to glow and the wall within its borders began to slide away into the rest of the wall.

Light flooded into the hall, and I had to shield my eyes as they attempted to adjust to the light. When I felt I was ready, I looked out towards the door and gazed upon the core of Zenith. For the energy source of the planet, it didn't seem that impressive. It was a glowing yellow green ball that emitted pure light and thermal energy. A rush of warmth suddenly hit me as the core seemed to pulse and glow much brighter.

Tufan let out a squeaky laugh as I flinched and shielded my eyes again. Another flood of numbers entered my brain. "An energy surge, huh? Does that normally happen?"

His laugh quickly faded as he turned to the core. It took a moment for his explanation to reach me. "So the core should have more frequent energy surges, almost like a heartbeat? Well, then this is a pretty crappy heart."

I watched the core for a while and reached out to it with my tecnopathy. I began to sense the immense energy within the core and how it seemed to swell with power as it prepared for another energy surge. I closed my eyes as I felt it begin to release the energy. Instead of a smooth, single beat, the energy seemed to trip over itself, leaving it with a strange sort of palpitation.

"How can something like this happen?" I mused aloud.

" _01010100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01100011 01101111 01110010 01100101 00100000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01101000 01100101 01100001 01110010 01110100 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01011010 01100101 01101110 01101001 01110100 01101000 00101110 00100000 01001001 01110100 00100000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01100001 01101110 00100000 01101111 01101100 01100100 00100000 01101000 01100101 01100001 01110010 01110100 00101110"_ I the numbers quickly. _The core is the heart of Zenith. It is an old heart._

"Well, sometimes old hearts need help. I think we just need a pacemaker." I quickly transformed and used my Bloomix wings to fly closer to the core.

The heat was nearly unbearable, and the energy that radiated from it prickled at my skin. I heart a short chirp behind me and turned to see Tufan had followed. He snaked his way through the air and followed me closely.

When I attempted to reach out and touch the core, a shock of energy sent me flying back with a shout. My hand shook as if felt the electricity surge through my body. "That's quite the defense system it has there."

Tufan quickly came to my side and pushed his nose into my injured hand. In all honesty, the electrical burn could have been a lot worse than it was, but it still really hurt. I could still feel energy coursing through my body, but as soon as Tufan touched me, it seemed to get sapped away. His violet mane raised with all of the electricity, but other than that, it didn't seem to affect him. This fact gave me an idea.

"Tufan, do you think you could sap the electricity while I try to make contact with the core?" I asked. Our eyes locked for a moment, his violet eyes searching mine, and then he nodded.

He reached out one of his hands for mine and I gladly accepted it. Feeling his scaly hand in mine was strangely comforting. As I calmed myself and reached out to the core again, I could sense his heartbeat sync with mine.

Finally, we reproached the core. This time, when I reached out for it, the electrical shock that it sent out in defense was siphoned off of me and went straight to Tufan, who seemed to giggle at its touch. When my hand made contact with the orb, a rush of incredible energy surged through my body. I could feel this also took the dragon by surprise as he let out a sharp cry. To try and gather myself, I attempted to focus on my heartbeat. When I was finally able to focus on it, I was very surprised to feel the same, unnatural rhythm that the core had. Strangely enough, I could feel the same happening in Tufan's chest.

My body immediately began to feel the effects of the terrible pace and my body wavered at the immense energy now coursing through me. _I have to set this right before it kills us both!_

Pulling what little power I still had control of out of my chest, I forced myself to push back against the core. It pushed against me and threatened to throw me back again, but then I felt something flow through me. Looking at Tufan, I smiled back at his toothy grin. He was sending his own energy through me to help push back against the core.

"Tufan, on the count of three, let's push as hard as we can, together! We'll need to send all of our energy into this!" I shouted over the sounds of electrical crackles. "One!"

" _01010100 01110111 01101111 00100001"_

"Three!" I felt a swell of energy come from Tufan and also from deep within my chest.

Light surrounded the two of us as if felt a new transformation begin.

A golden ring circled my neck as yellow green and violet fabrics wrapped around my chest. Yellow green tights and purple knee high boots covered my legs and feet as light green wings formed at my back and were in the shape of dragonwings with golden circuit designs decorating them. Armor began to form on Tufan, but quickly disappated once he realized what it was and shook it off.

An immense power surged through the two of us and after sharing a look with Tufan, I knew what to do. "Dragon's Ray!"

A beam of pure energy shot into the core, and I finally connected with the power source. The core finally seemed to calm once the two of us were inside of it. Still feeling the irregular beat within the core and my own chest, I focused on controlling my heartbeat. Slowing and allowing it to fall back into its normal rhythm. Through Tufan's hand, I could feel his heartbeat slowly sync with mine.

Closing my eyes, I allowed myself to reach out to the core, allowing the sounds of our heartbeats lead my energy to the true heart of the core. Slowly but surely, the core began to beat in sync with us. With the new, regular beat, I could feel more power already begin to emanate from the core.

Summoning my phone from my pocket, I looked at the energy charts and found that once again, the core was running at full capacity.

"I guess my- our test is complete." I turned to the orange dragon. He watched me for a moment, and then tackled me with a hug, cackling with joy the entire time. "Now, let's head back and get that orb!"

With our test complete, the two of us exited the core and returned to the Fulcrum. We were about two steps in when the entire Keep suddenly shook and the sound of an explosion rippled through the halls. No words passed between us, we just ran forwards. Tufan led the way back to the main area where we left Bloom, Bo, and the guardian.

When we finally arrived, it took me a second to process what I was seeing. Bloom was unconscious on the ground while Bo attempted to protect her from falling rubble and flames while the guardian reached for a hole in the ceiling as her body began to dissipate.

My mind flashed back to Stella's description of Solaria's death. I didn't think. I just acted.

I quickly flew forwards. A light began to shine as Zenith's very soul was exposed. I couldn't let her disappear like this!

As soon as I touched the light, darkness enveloped me.


	13. Guardians at Risk

**Tecna's Pov**

My eyes met violet when I finally came to. Tufan worriedly looked down upon me as he cradled me with his long body. I didn't have the change to answer him though, another voice demanded immediate attention.

"What were you thinking?!" I closed my eyes again as Zenith's voice echoed in my head. "You could have gotten yourself killed!"

"My friend saved Solaria this way, so I wanted to do the same." I tried to calm her by explaining my logic.

"Save me? You did not save me. My body is gone forever! My soul is simply trapped within your body! I won't be able to return to the flame until you die!" She shot back.

Based on what Stella said, Solaria was not this hostile towards his host. "I was trying to help."

Zenith was quiet for a moment. "I am sorry. You seemed to have acted on instinct rather than on logic. I still do not understand how you thought this might have helped me."

Now it was my turn to be silent. "I don't know either. Well, I'm at least glad you will be around for a little longer. Your knowledge and experience are priceless."

"My knowledge is nothing that humans can't discover either. But, for now, I shall accept this arrangement. Just call me if you need assistance."

Reaching up, I touched Tufan's cheek, reassuring him that I was okay, and he melted into the touch. He helped me up and I quickly took in our surroundings. The fires were out and the Fulcrum was in ruins. All of the screens were shattered and many wires and electronics hung from the ceiling and were scattered about the floor.

Not far from us, I saw Bo gently picking up Bloom, who was still unconscious. I quickly got up and ran towards them.

"Bo, what happened?!" I cried.

"Zenith attempted to face Kala and her allies alone. She locked us up in another room, but Bloom managed to break us free. We entered the room just as Kala tore the dragon orb from Zenith _and_ steal her power. Bloom tried to stop her, but the Fulcrum's defense systems activated and tried to take us all out. Kala destroyed the place when she was shot at. Bloom was hit and I can't get her to wake up." Bo explained quickly.

Placing my hand on Bloom's forehead, I tried to sense any injuries she might have sustained, but found nothing. Looking around the room, I noticed that there were two types of defense weapons hanging from the ceiling. "Do you know which one shot her?"

"That one." He pointed at one of the machines, and I sighed with relief.

"That's a stun gun. She'll be out for a while, but she's fine otherwise." I stepped away from them and looked up at the hole in the ceiling.

"She made it to Zenith before us, but we found the guardian first, and yet we still lost everything…" Frustration began to build in my chest, but then I realized something.

Solaria didn't die when his orb was stolen. It was only when Bloom took the rest of his power that his body vanished and his soul was exposed for Stella to save. This time, Kala took everything but the soul. Bloom had lost everything this time and Zenith had lost its guardian dragon.

 **Musa's Pov**

I ran to greet Tecna as soon as she stepped out of the portal. By the look on her face, I knew things had gone wrong. Dread formed in my stomach even more when she was followed by Bo, who was carrying an unconscious Bloom, and an orange dragon.

Bo took our friend straight to her room while Tecna filled us in on everything that happened. The orange dragon sat quietly by my best friend's side, sadly resting his head in her lap. When questioned about him, she explained that he had nowhere else to go now that the guardian was gone and that with him, she was able to obtain dragonix.

"So that's now two of us with dragons and dragonix, and two who have absorbed the souls of the guardians." Aisha sighed, worry creased her brow.

Now wanting to wait for Bloom, we quickly explained what we found in the library. Horror slowly began to show on her face. Now that all was out in the air, we sat quietly, trying to make sense of all that we learned. Every once in a while, Tecna and Stella would get a distant look, making me think that the guardians had said something to them. Finally, Stella stepped forwards.

"Hey, Tecna." She called to the pink haired woman while summoning her staff. "Solaria says that with the staffs, we won't need to worry about getting overwhelmed by their souls."

"Staffs? You only have one." Tecna questioned, but then something made her pause. Probably Zenith.

She stood up and took hold of the end of Stella's staff. As she pulled at it, the golden material began to lengthen until it was about double its original length. It broke in half without a sound into a solid gold rod. We all watched in awe as Tecna allowed Zenith's excess power flow into and change the staff.

The staff began to glow as a dragon's head formed at its top. A green stone was set in its forehead. Tecna touched it lightly. "It's almost exactly like Zenith." She trailed off, obviously upset at the loss of her planet's guardian. Tufan let out a whine as he nuzzled her side."

"…Guys." Flora finally spoke up. "If Kala can now steal orbs and the guardian's power, do you think she might go after Eraklyon again?"

"She might." Aisha looked down at the floor. "We'll have to warn Sky about this. Also, I know Sola and Nyemaane don't have dragon orbs, but they have powers just like all the other dragons. If she knows they exist, she might go after them too."

"Also, this is the second time Kala has come after a guardian we were looking for. This can't be a coincidence." Tecna added.

"But how could she know which guardian we were searching for?" I asked. "It's not like we shout it on the rooftops or anything."

"I wonder…" Flora narrowed her eyes as she thought about something. "Bloom is connected to the guardians through the Dragon Flame and the Great Dragon. I wonder if Kala has some kind of connection to the guardians or Great Dragon as well? It may explain why she seems to know where and when we are going next. She might just be able to sense these things like how Bloom can sense her presence."

"Also, this Meremoth didn't have any connection to the Guardian dragon, so when he stole a part of it, he was immediately overwhelmed. Like you said, Bloom is connected to the guardians, and she has been able to contain one dragon orb and Solaria's power. Kala stole their power just like Meremoth, but she apparently seemed to be fine. She has to be connected somehow." Stella threw her hands up before plopping down on her chair again.

We were all just about fed up with all of the questions that we had and the fact that we had hardly any answers for any of them.

"If she does have some kind of connection to the Guardians as well," Tecna began. "Then we need to find the next guardian immediately. Stella and I are both going to have to work on our Dragonix powers and with our dragons. We should probably wait for Bloom to awaken before visiting Sola and Nyemaane, so in the mean time, the rest of you should attempt to find even more about Dragonix and the Guardians. Once Bloom is awake and we find out where we need to go next, we can split up again with one group checking out this Meremoth guy and the other hunting down the next guardian."

We all nodded in agreement and set to work. Tecna, Stella, and Tufan left while the rest of us began to once again search through the books we brought back from the Sky Palace.

 **Bloom's Pov**

All I knew, was that I was not where I was supposed to be. The last thing I remember was burning a hole through the table and following Zenith back to the main room as fast as I could. When Bo and I finally found her, all we could do was shield ourselves from the blast at the opposite end of the room.

I watched Kala appeared from inside the smoke, lunging towards Zenith with arms outstretched. All at once, Zenith's defense systems activated and began wildly targeting everything in the room. I saw Kala land on Zenith's head right as a bolt of electricity tore through my body and threw me into darkness.

Everything leading up to this moment still didn't explain where I was. Looking around, the landscape seemed to be out of a painting. Purple and white capped mountains surrounded a valley and large lake. The sky was dark and stormy, but swirled with beautiful colors that reflected on the water below. I wasn't able to fully appreciate the view for long as something at the corner of my senses drew my attention upwards.

Out of the clouds, the biggest dragon I have ever seen, excluding the guardians, She was obsidian black with massive wings that seemed to blot out the sky. Her wings dwarfed her elegant, long body and thin legs and neck. Her face was very sharp and angular, and pointed like an arrow. Her whip like tail thrashed about, cracking like thunder as her blood red eyes locked on to me.

A single name entered my mind. _Keket_. Was that her name? I couldn't be sure as I had no way of confirming this. She landed right by me and lowered her head down to my level, bending her long neck awkwardly. It was then that I found I had no control over my body. My hand reached out and gently touched her muzzle. Her scales were smooth and ice cold to the touch. Normally, upon closer inspection, black fur or scales appeared more brown or another color instead of being true black, but not in this case. Even Thanatos' scales were not as dark as hers.

"Keket." My mouth moved, but my voice was not my own. "Zenith's orb and power have been obtained. Where shall I go next?"

The dragon, Keket, twisted her head until her large eye was all I could see. My stomach dropped like a stone as I stared at the reflection in her eye. In it, I did not see myself, but Kala. Her jaw set suddenly, and she began to smile, staring directly at her eyes in the reflection. At me.

I awoke with a start. Sweat beaded on my skin as I came to a slow realization as to what had happened. Somehow, I was seeing through Kala's eyes… and through her reflection in Keket's eye, she saw me.

Deeply shaken, I didn't immediately recognize my surroundings. Looking about, I found Bo sleeping on the floor next to my bed. _My bed… at Alfea._

"Bo," I called out to him, but devolved into a coughing fit. My mouth and throat was so dry that the sudden use of my voice hurt.

Bo immediately awoke from his sleep, sitting bolt upright, and looking around in a slight daze. When his eyes landed on me, he immediately calmed and stepped closer to the bed.

"Inferno Bloom, are you alright?" He leaned forwards and nuzzled my cheek, his eyes full of concern.

"I'm fine, Bo. How did we get back here?" I asked, rubbing a spot just under his eye that he particularly liked.

"Tecna opened a portal and I carried you through." He explained, pulling away from my touch and turning towards a tray next to him. "Here, drink, eat. You have been asleep for some time."

I gladly accepted the bottle of water he handed me and immediately began to drink its contents. The cool liquid soothed my throat and mouth, and began to revitalize my body. He said I slept for a while, but my body still feels exhausted.

"How long was I out?" He handed me a bowl of some kind of soup. It wasn't piping hot, but not too cold either. I gratefully took the bowl and simply placed the side to my lips and drank it. I was too hungry to use a spoon to scoop out the delicious broth and noodles.

"Three days." I choked at his response.

"Three days?!"

He nodded his head slowly. "The nurse here does not believe it was from the stun gun either, but she could find nothing wrong with you."

Bo left me with this information to go retrieve the others. Everyone was relieved to see that I was awake and visibly well, but even after only being awake for less than an hour, I was exhausted. They told me everything that I had missed. Tecna introduced me to Tufan, Stella told me about her training and new spells, and Aisha told me about the journal and Meremoth.

As they spoke, I truly did pay attention to the best of my ability, but something was still eating away in the back of my mind. _If I could enter Kala's mind, who's to say she can't do the same to me? She somehow managed to see me through her own eyes, can I do the same?_

When Tecna told me that Kala stole Zenith's power along with her orb, my heart dropped. "So now there's no doubt that she could go after Eraklyon again, and possibly Nyemaane and Sola as well." I clenched my jaw at the thought.

"Don't worry, Bloom. We told Sky immediately. He wanted to stay and wait for you to awaken, but he needed to return home to help guard Eraklyon. Apparently the entire planet now knows and are putting every precaution into protecting their Guardian Dragon." Flora attempted to ease my worries.

"I don't think anyone will be able to keep him safe at this point." I muttered. "Kala has the orbs of Solaria and Zenith, and Zenith's inborn power. If we have any desire to stop her from taking the others, we have to find the next Guardian, and fast."

"Then let's go to Glacial immediately." Musa exclaimed. "We have to get a head start on her, and we're already behind." She paused for a moment. "Which is entirely not your fault."

I nodded, accepting her apology, as Aisha gave me the key to the sky palace. "I think the best thing we can do is split up again. Musa and Flora can come with me while the rest of you can head over to Amos and find out more about Meremoth."

We split up immediately. Using a closet door, I inserted the key and we headed to the Sky palace. The three of us immediately headed to the portal room and headed straight for the portal to Glacial and Sola and Nyemaane's home. We were egarly greeted by the young guardians and I welcomed their embrace.

"Mother, Zenith is gone." Sola said it more as a statement than a question, but Bloom nodded anyways. Both dragons looked crestfallen at the answer, even though they knew what she would say. They just needed confirmation, and comfort after the fact which I gladly gave.

After a few more moments of mourning, the twin Guardians led us back through their temple and to their map of the universe. The two repeated their dance around the planets and settled their gaze on Melody. Placing their claws on the planet, the two recited the riddle to Melody's keep.

 _When the moon rises high as the sun leaves the sky, find hope that nothing will fall_

 _As the levels of being find strength in the feelings, find joy that it is stronger than all_

 _Fear not that something will break, for even the best make mistakes_

 _Find truth in its call, For the melody of emotions keeps us all_

 _In the heart of the mother._

"That actually sounds kind of familiar…" Musa hummed. "I think it might have been a part of a song that I heard when I was a child." The riddle was strange when spoken, but as she continued to hum, the words seemed to fall into place with the melody. When she finally stopped, she gave a small smile and her eyes welled with tears. "I remember now. It's a verse from the song of the Moon. It's an old song sung by the keepers of the tower of Harmony, the tallest tower in all of Magix. When there's wind at night, the tower hums the melody and the keepers sing along with it as they patrol the gravesites around the tower. That's where… that's where my mother is buried."

Flora place a hand on her shoulder as a tear fell from her eye. I gave her a sympathetic look before pausing. Flora began to speak softly with Musa, giving her comforting words and encouragement, but I could barely hear her. Something twitched inside my mind and a deep pit began to form in my stomach.

Summoning a small mirror into my hand, I looked directly into my eyes, praying the feeling was wrong.

Inside my black pupils, my fears were confirmed as Kala stared back at me.


	14. Melody's Keep

Sooo, how's it been? I'm sorry I disappeared for… what? Two months or so? I made a promise to myself to keep a backlog of chapters so I could keep a schedule for my stories, releasing every other week, but I've been having a pretty shitty year, and it's only April. Since January, I've had two deaths in the family (neither of which I was super close to but I had to be there for my family), I got sicker than I have ever been in at least ten years, and had two research essays due on the same exact day with a third due less than two weeks later. It's like the world decided that last year wasn't hard enough for me and just kept throwing little missiles of pain and stress my way.

Hopefully, the universe will give me a long enough break to write a bunch more chapters and start really diving into this story.

* * *

Bloom's Pov

There was no time to waste. I immediately informed Flora and Stella of this new development and both were rightly shocked. We agreed to split up even more in order to possibly get a step ahead. I gave Flora the key to the sky palace so she could return home and warn the others while Musa summoned a portal to her home world so we could go directly there.

By directly, I mean outside the gates as magic is forbidden in the graveyards. All sense of urgency slowly faded in the two of us as we walked through the path of graves. The placed seemed to drain us both of all energy. Occasionally, we would see someone in heavy robes walking the grounds, carrying a stick with a lantern.

"Don't catch their attention," Musa warned. "They only allow in visitors who are visiting graves, and will turn people back if they get too close to the tower."

"How do we even get to the tower?" I looked out across the graves, which slowly disappeared in a haze of fog. "I can barely see the tower, and these paths are like a maze!"

Musa didn't answer me immediately. "My mother's grave is near the tower's south side. It looks over the bay where the tower is closest to the water front. If we can get close to it, I'll be able to get us to the tower."

I fell silent as Musa continued walking. We crossed paths with several of the robed people, and every once in a while one would ask if we were lost. Musa easily reassured them that she knew where she was going and we would continue on our way.

Eventually, we found ourselves at the edge of the graveyard on a bluff. Musa approached one of the stones and knelt by it for a moment. I looked down at my feet for a time, giving her as much privacy as I could afford. She was right though, the tower was within sight now and the fog seemed to be clearing up a bit.

"Okay," I looked back as my friend stood and brushed herself off. "Basically we need to follow the paths straight back."

"Sounds easy enough."

Musa had a new sense of urgency, as if visiting the grave had given her strength. Weaving through the paths, the two of us easily made it to the base of the tower. How it was standing, I'll never know. It was round and the width of a house, and its top disappeared into the clouds. There were many windows and holes all through the towers walls, none of which were big enough to crawl through, and there were some pegs sticking through the stones winding around it, like a stair well for the suicidal. We looked around the entire thing twice before giving up on finding a door.

"So, how do we get in? We can't use our wings since there's no magic allowed here." Musa trailed off, trying to think of something.

Stepping back, I looked higher up the tower and began to walk around again. My eyes followed the pegs up and around, but suddenly, they stopped. Just barely, I could make out a difference in color on the wall just above the last peg.

"Oh fun." I sighed. I pointed at the place as Musa turned to look at me. "That's the way in."

Her jaw dropped. "Are you sure about that?"

"99.8 percent sure."

"I know this is for my planet's guardian and all, but I already don't like this." Musa turned to walk back around to the lowest pegs.

"Well, I now know why there's a graveyard around this place. They probably got sick of carrying the bodies off whenever someone tried to steal their way in." I followed her.

The first few pegs were not very trustworthy, shaking under our weight as we tried to crawl across them. As we climbed farther, they got sturdier, but it didn't stop my arms from shaking.

"I'm glad it's foggy today." Musa chattered, her body quivering just as hard as mine. "No one should be able to see us up here."

"I think that's the one good thing about this entire situation." I replied.

The silence that followed was an uncomfortable one, so Musa kept talking. "What do you think about all this? About dragonix and the guardians and everything?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean its kind of strange that it seems like all the guardians have been on our home worlds, and that we've been finding dragons who have bonded with us."

"It is kind of strange, but hey, it makes things a heck of a lot easier. You knew where this tower was immediately, and the others were practically made for the puzzles and challenges. Hey, maybe you'll find a dragon too."

"That's true, and… maybe? Alake's kind of aloof though, and Tufan is completely drained of all life after his guardian died. I don't know if I could care for a dragon." Musa sighed.

"Not all dragons are like Alake, and I'm sure Tufan will come around. Remember Mink when he was little? He was so carefree and happy, and he still kind of is. He has the biggest crush on Peril, and's learning to become a soldier to impress her." I smiled, thinking of the golden wyvern and how dedicated he is to the red dragoness.

We continued talking until we reached the last pegs. There was no platform for us to stand, so Musa and I got to our feet and balanced on the last few rungs. There was a difference in the wall. A flat stone tablet with several symbols on it.

There was a simplified drawing of the temple with the moon above it, and several music notes on a cleft circled by the great dragon.

 _When the moon rises high as the sun leaves the sky, find hope that nothing will fall_

 _As the levels of being find strength in the feelings, find joy that it is stronger than all_

 _Fear not that something will break, for even the best make mistakes_

 _Find truth in its call, For the melody of emotions keeps us all_

 _In the heart of the mother._

Musa recited, running her fingers across the notes. "This is the sheet music for the song. Thousands have tried to recreate it, but no one's ever perfectly recreated it. How has no one ever made it up here and written it down before?"

"Because we don't let them."

A voice caused both of us to freeze. Carefully, the two of us turned our heads. Cloud was the longest dragon I had ever seen, but this one was almost twice her length. She was a pale violet with a soft white mane that trailed down her back and plumed at the tip of her tail. She had short, thin legs, no wings, small antlers, and vibrant blue eyes.

"Who are you?" I called, and she hovered closer.

"My name is Ruana. No one is allowed up here." Her voice was soft, and quivered as if she was afraid.

"I'm sorry, but we need to get into the keep. The guardian is in danger." This caught her off guard.

"Melody isn't here." Ruana's voice began to tremble as she started to panic. "Is the temple in danger?"

The two of us exchanged a shocked glance, but the more imminent problem was the dragon who came to throw us off the tower. "Yes, please help us get in." Musa reached out a hand towards the dragon who was now in full panic.

Ruana, now almost hyperventilating, locked eyes with her. Slowly, the dragon stretched forwards and allowed Musa to touch her nose. I watched as the fairy of music gave her a reassuring smile, and how she seemingly forgot the situation we were in. _So, not a coincidence_ , I thought.

Once calmer, Ruana backed away slightly. "I don't know how to get in. None of us do. We live higher up in the tower where the entrances are wider, but you can't climb that high."

"Well then, can you fly up and maybe find a way to open it from the inside?"

"Oh, no!" Ruana suddenly jerked back, panic renewed. "Father and the others would be so angry!"

Musa and I looked at each other again. The other two keeps had dragon guards as well. Solaria's had Alake and his brother, and Zenith's had Tufan. Here there was Ruana, her father, and apparently others. The other guardians' keeps were well hidden so they didn't need as much security. This one, however, was out in the open and apparently had many guards who weren't afraid of pushing people off the edge.

"Well, maybe you can help us solve this riddle?" Musa offered.

 _When the moon rises high as the sun leaves the sky, find hope that nothing will fall_

 _As the levels of being find strength in the feelings, find joy that it is stronger than all_

 _Fear not that something will break, for even the best make mistakes_

 _Find truth in its call, For the melody of emotions keeps us all_

 _In the heart of the mother._

Musa sung the verse, which seemed to calm the long dragon. Musa paused for a while, and then sang it again, slowly emphasizing certain words, before giving me a triumphant smile. "We found _hope that nothing will fall_ , as we rose high like the moon."

It took me a moment to understand, and I continued. "The _levels of being_ must have been the pegs, and I sure _found joy that it is stronger than all_. But what about the second verse?"

The two of us looked back at the wall, and Musa continued, " _Fear not that something will break_ … Oh no. We have to break this thing."

"But how? It's stone, and we can't use magic here." I carefully looked around for anything to help us. My eyes settled on Ruana.

"Ruana, we need to break this stone," I carefully tried to convince the dragon to help us, but then stopped as I noticed that Musa was carefully tracing her fingers across the music notes one by one.

Humming the tune softly, she reached the end and then began to carefully trace the Great dragon. "This music isn't exactly right." Musa squinted and moved her fingers to a spot on the music. "There should be a note here."

Ruana drew closer to get a better look. "You're right. There should be an f-flat there."

Musa scratched her nail on the spot, and all three of us were shocked to see that the spot easily began to crumble. She gave me a quick glance before scratching more at the spot. As she worked at it, more and more began to chip off. Reaching over, I helped her dig farther into the wall until her hand landed on a now visible lever.

"I had no idea that was there." Ruana blew some of the dust away.

"Well, I think we know the way in now." I coughed, waving away the dirt that blew up in my face.

Musa gently took hold of the lever and pulled. There was a sudden snap inside the wall and a sound of grinding gears. Suddenly, the entire section of the wall we were leaning on for support fell in. Both of us let out a shout as the wall fell to the floor.

"ouf," I pushed myself up on my hands and knees, and then got a glimpse beyond the wall we were lying on. "Oh, shit!"

The wall hadn't landed on the floor after all, but was dangling over a pit by a few rusty bars. Thankfully, instead of pegs, there was a stone staircase that spiraled up against the walls.

"Well, I guess we only have one way to go." Musa looked back at Ruana, who had now poked her head into the tower and was curiously looking about. "Do you want to come with us?"

"I've never been this low in the tower before." Ruana then seemed to remember her purpose. "I'd better follow to keep an eye on you."

I didn't miss the smile Musa gave to the dragon, and I hid my own as we began to ascend the staircase.

 **Musa's Pov**

Ruana floated just above our heads as we climbed the tower. About ten times over, I thanked whatever higher powers existed that I was a fairy, and how it gave me more stamina than the average person.

Bloom, on the other hand, was gasping for air after about an hour of climbing. I had to force her to take a break, which I knew she secretly appreciated. All of us knew something was deeply wrong with Bloom. She was easily tired, barely eats, and she's become worryingly thin.

Even after only just meeting, Ruana also seemed concerned for the redhead. Unfortunately, I don't even think Bloom knew what was wrong, and she defiantly wasn't asking for the help she needed.

It seemed like it took hours before we finally found an open window. All three of us stopped and enjoyed the fresh air. Feeling the light breeze, I closed my eyes to simply revel in its cool touch. Suddenly, Ruana let out a gasp, and my eyes shot open, meeting an angry pair of blue eyes belonging to a dragon that was similar to, but much larger than Ruana.


	15. Orb of Harmony

Knight7572- first off thank you, and I am really glad you liked this chapter! I also agree with you, Bloom needs some help.

Tecna

Tufan was in better spirits today. Ever since we arrived, he's hung close to me with his ears low and his mane drooping down the back of his neck. The first day he absolutely refused to leave my room, but now, he willingly left my side and would cautiously wander about campus.

When Flora came back with news about Kala seeing through Bloom's eyes and knowing where to go next, I knew I could no longer coddle Tufan and try to defend him from his own pain. We had to stand together as the Winx to fight Kala, so our dragons had to stand together as well.

Since he seemed better, we decided now was the time for him to meet Alake. The pharaoh dragon gave Tufan all the space he felt he needed without the added worry of a larger dragon around. Every once in a while, Tufan would come running back to my side, chattering about another dragon much bigger than he was, and I could feel the interest and fear radiating off of him. It was time to put his fears to rest.

"I'm sure you two will become great friends!" I heard Stella reassure Alake while I led Tufan away from the main building. When we turned the corner, the orange dragon stepped back and grabbed my shoulders with his first set of fore legs.

"I know you can't communicate like we do," I whispered to him as he began a series of chattering squeaks. "But you'll be fine. Alake won't hurt you, and as long as you're good, I'm sure he'll like you too."

Tufan cautiously approached behind me, his claws still tightly gripped my shoulders, ready to whisk me away in case Alake wasn't as kind as I promised.

Alake was resting near the well, with Stella dozing on his forearm while the others chatted amongst themselves as we waited for the boys to come visit and figure out how we are going to fight back against Kala and her followers.

As we approached, the white dragon opened his blue eyes and watched us approach. A rumble began to build in Tufan's throat. Reaching my hand up, I gently rubbed his chin, bringing his head down to my shoulder in order to better sooth him.

"Hello, Tufan," Alake called gently. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

The smaller dragon's ears pricked up at the sound of his own name. He squeaked in response, which Alake frowned at.

"Remember, Al, he can't speak." Stella reminded him.

"Then how am I to ease his fears?"

"He can still understand us," I said, finally sitting down at the well with my friends, Tufan still glued to my side.

The larger dragon leaned forwards and sniffed at Tufan, who responded by jumping up and curling his long tail like a scorpion, every strand of his mane now standing on end. "Tufan, it's okay. It's okay…" I reached out and grabbed his leg, which was now poised defensively across my lap.

"I'm sorry. I did not mean to scare you." Alake quickly drew back, his shoulders drooped, allowing his wings to rest on the ground.

Tufan seemed quite surprised by this. His mane relaxed, now settling at the height that seemed most natural, and his ears were now forward and fully interested.

To my surprise, he carefully left my side and approached Alake, who was probably more surprised than I was. Tufan circled the larger dragon, investigating from a distance the new creature before him.

When he made it back around to Alake's front, Tufan surprised us all and reached out to him with his tail. After a moment of shock, the white dragon reached out a claw and gently touched his tail, then suddenly jumped back with a growl of pain. Stella was thrown off his leg and Alake bared his fangs in anger, stretching out his hood threateningly.

"Tufan!" I jumped up, ready to place myself in between them to stop a fight. To all of our surprise, Tufan let out a playful cackle as he laid down, lowering his head to hide a grin.

"What was that about?!" Stella cried, more than a little annoyed that she was thrown from her dragon.

Alake continued to stare down Tufan for a while. "He was testing me." He grumbled. "Most dragons show dominance through size or fighting. Dragons with special abilities often are smaller than other dragons, so we show our powers through demonstrations or visual warnings. He might be able to zap foes, but my fangs and hood tell him that he doesn't want to compete with me."

"So, you two aren't going to fight?" Aisha asked.

Tufan stood and shook his head, and I could tell what he was thinking. _Nope, too dangerous._

When I relayed this information, Alake laughed, a low throaty sound. "He is smarter than you have let on then. I am sure we shall have no trouble getting along."

Just then, Aisha's phone rang. Picking it up, she listened carefully to the caller before hanging up and quickly standing.

"What's wrong?" Flora asked.

"Kala's on Andros. They think the next guardian is there." She spat. We could all hear the fury in her voice.

"But Kala knows a guardian is on Melody, why would she take a gamble on Andros?" Stella mused.

"Because she tricked us. She made Bloom run off after the next orb so she wouldn't have any competition for another." Aisha opened a portal, and before any of us could stop her, she jumped through and it closed immediately.

 **Musa**

The dragon quickly jumped through the window and grabbed me. Ruana cried out in fear as the long dragon flew past her. He carried me away from the stairwell and up even higher into the tower. Looking down, I could see another dragon grab hold of Bloom and follow us up. Ruana trailed behind, unwilling to interact with the two dragons that had a hold on us.

As it became clear that we would still be climbing for some time, I began to examine the two dragons that had come from the window.

The one that was carrying me had incredible blue eyes and a pale green, almost cream color mane. His scales were greener than his mane, but his tail scales was a gradient from a green to a vibrant blue. He also had a long beard, whiskers, and his antlers were much more developed. The other dragon was a light red with a pale yellow mane and violet eyes, but had no whiskers or beard, and her horns were much smaller than the green dragon, but larger than Ruana's.

Bloom tried talking to the dragons, but neither responded, or even acted like they heard her. Casting a glance up at me, I could see the worry written all over her face. Ruana may not have thrown us off the tower, but these two seemed ready and willing.

Silence filled the rest of our journey up to the very top of the tower. I was a bit surprised to find that the tower had no roof other than a small platform occupied by several other long dragons. The two dropped us on the platform before rejoining the others. Ruana tried to follow them, but the green dragon snarled and literally kept her from landing on the platform.

She was visibly distressed as she circled about the others, who still refused to let her land. Finally, I caught her eye and waved her over. Ruana hesitated, but without anything else to do, she drifted over and landed, immediately coiling her body and lowering her head to the ground.

"Who are they?" The green dragon demanded, anger evident in his voice even though he seemed calm.

"They are fairies, as far as I can tell. They seek Melody to warn her of danger, great Alto." Her voice was almost a whisper.

"Danger?" The red dragon spoke, obviously worried by Ruana's explanation.

When Ruana didn't continue, the dragons turned to us. "Yes, danger." Bloom began before bowing. "I am Inferno Bloom, and my friend, Musa and I are on a quest to meet the last surviving Guardians. And yes, we are here because Melody is in great danger."

The name seemed to startle the dragons, but not Alto. He was more focused on the second part of her introduction. "How is she in danger?"

The two of us launched into the short version of our story, explaining how Kala was after Melody's dragon orb and can also tear the natural power out of guardians. This really had the dragons worried.

Alto exchanged a glance with the red dragon, who gave him a strange whistle. A few other dragons added their own whistles, leading me to believe that it was their way of communicating with each other. Looking back, I watched Ruana's eyes follow the conversation, flicking between whichever dragon was speaking. Based on her body language it wasn't anything bad, but probably not about us either.

Once the dragons seemed to all agree, Alto and the red dragon turned back to us. "We thank you for the forewarning, but we shall handle the threat. We have guarded the tower for millennia, living alongside the Guardian Melody and kept out unwanted visitors so well that a graveyard now surrounds this sacred place." He then turned his attention to Ruana. "Ruana, you have failed in the most basic task we have given you. You have embarrassed your mother, me, and Guardian Melody. You shall escort these two back to the ground and never return."

"No, please," Ruana wailed, jumping forwards and just about flattening herself against the stone. "Father- Alto, I can do better!" She turned to the red dragon. "Allegra, kind mother, please don't make me leave!"

Allegra's eyes were filled with conflicting emotions, but she turned her head anyways. Alto continued his harsh stare, silently answering her pleas.

"Where will I go? I have no place down there!" The violet dragon would have been in tears if dragons could cry.

Unable to witness this display any longer, I stepped forwards. "You can stay with me." Now it was my turn to be stared down by all the dragons. "We don't throw out anyone for stupid reasons like bending rules for the greater good."

"Musa!" Bloom grabbed my arm, whispering a warning in my ear. "Not the time."

Alto lowered his head slightly and took a threatening step forwards. "We cannot afford insolence! Look around you," He whipped his head about in a grand gesture, stepping away to show how many dragons there actually were. "We only live here, at the top of this tower, only occasionally wandering inside to rest on staircases that can hardly hold us. We do not have the space to accommodate uselessness."

"She is not useless!" I challenged, anger boiling in my chest. Ruana only sank farther to the ground, filled with sorrow and shame.

Suddenly, there was a large gust of wind. I was knocked off my feet, flying backwards as Bloom scrambled to get a grip on the stone platform. Just as I was about to fall off the only safe surface up here, Ruana scooped me up in her arms and held on tightly.

Even as the wind continued to fiercely blow, there was a sound that began to resonate through the tower. The tone changed slowly, rising and lowing in a familiar cadence that nearly brought tears to my eyes.

Everyone on Melody knew this series of sounds as the Song of the Tower. A song no one could recreate. The best emulation was The Song of the Moon, sang by the Keepers of the Tower of Harmony whose voices echoed in my dreams whenever I thought of my mother.

The song that frequently was my only company when I snuck away from home to visit her grave. Finally gathering the courage, I pushed against Ruana, standing against the wind and facing its source.

She was unspeakably beautiful. No legs, large iridescent feathered wings, a pink-violet stone set in the middle of her pale lilac long neck, and a plume of feathers lined her snake like cheeks. Without the wings, she just would have been a giant snake, but even then, her large blue eyes set her apart from any creature I had ever seen before.

All of the dragons flattened themselves against the stone, their manes billowing wildly in the winds. Slowly, she slowed her wing beats as her tail wrapped around the tower. Once she allowed the feathered limbs to rest on the sides of the tower, the wind stopped, and so did the music.

Neither of us had to ask her name.

"Great Mother, it is a pleasure to finally meet you." Melody's voice sang, greeting Bloom like the other Guardians and dragons.

"It is an honor to meet you, Melody," Bloom bowed her head. "Do you know why we are here?"

"I do. You seek the Orb of Emotion." She lowered her great head. "You know I cannot simply give it to you."

"I do."

"But you are too weak to complete my task." The Guardian turned her startling gaze to me. "Is she your chosen champion?"

Bloom and I exchanged a glance. "I will gladly take on your challenge."

"Then allow us to begin immediately." Drawing her wings back, she stretched them as far as physically possible.

I assumed this to be a grand display as she gathered energy to send me to the challenge. When she threw her wings forward in a single, powerful beat. Allegra surged forwards and grabbed Bloom while Ruana tried and failed to hold onto me. I was already close to the edge of the platform, and the moment I was pushed away from that safety, the wind changed direction and dragged me down into the tower.

"Musa!" Ruana dove after me.

The tower made a terrible sound as the wind carried me down, just out of the dragon's grasp. When it finally let go, Ruana quickly scooped me up, holding me tightly.

"Are you okay?" She was trembling, and I couldn't blame her.

"I'm fine. Can you let me down?" I stroked her cheek until she calmed down.

"I'd rather you stay with me." Her voice was still shaking, so I didn't try to argue. She helped me climb onto her slender back.

"Daughter of Melody," The Guardian's voice rang down on us. "Your task is to tune my tower. Young Ruana shall assist you in your task."

Looking around, I had no idea where to even begin. "How do I do that?"

"I am sure you two shall figure it out." Was all she said in response.

"Awesome," I sighed. Looking down at Ruana, I stroked the side of her neck. "You know the tower better than me, do you know where to start?"

She thought for a moment. "Maybe if there was wind, we might hear the problem?"

"Good idea. I'll call up to Melody and see if she can help." Just as I gathered a breath, Ruana stopped me.

"Wait, it is not necessary. I am not even sure she will help as this is your challenge." Drifting closer to the first window, Ruana settled her front claws on the small opening. "I can call upon the winds as well, but I am not as powerful as Guardian Melody. I can only use about three windows at the same time."

Without any other option, our work began. Using her powers, Ruana summoned the wind to billow through the first window. The sound was a strange one, but beautiful none the less. Finding nothing wrong with this window's sound, we moved on.

Each window we passed sounded fine. Methodically, we spiraled up the tower and tested each window individually, then back down testing two or three at a time.

Finding nothing wrong, we began to play different windows with different sounds at the same time, playing the tower like a musical instrument. Ruana began to test her abilities, beginning to push air through a fourth and even fifth window which produced a softer sound. We were having so much fun with it that we began to forget about the task at hand.

As we began to play five different windows at the same time, I began to feel something, deep within my soul. Something resonated deep within me, and that something was wrong.

"Ruana, play those five again." When she did as I asked, the same feeling made my body shiver. I asked her to play a different selection of windows with only one of the five that gave me the strange feeling. Nothing. We did the same for another one of the five, and again, there was no strange sensation that made my skin crawl.

One by one, we tested the last three. Of course, the very last one we try, now coupled with four other windows, made a terrible sound deep within my being.

"That one." I point to it. "That one's wrong."

"It sounds fine to me," Ruana replied, carefully inspecting this window.

"It isn't the sound, it's the feeling that window makes." I tried to explain. "Hang on, maybe I can help you feel it."

Placing my hand on the side of her neck, I began to reach out to Ruana. Immediately, I sensed her gentle spirit and felt her reach out to me as well. Without having to ask, Ruana played the one window, and her body shuddered as the sound rippled through the both of us.

"How do we fix it?" She whimpered, still reeling from the negative sensation the window produced.

There was an idea at the edge of my mind. "There's nothing wrong with the sound it creates… but the emotion it elects is weird. I think we have to tune it to the others."

Again, she asked, "How?"

This time, I didn't try to respond. Reaching out to her soul again, I allowed my emotions to explain myself. Closing my eyes, I reached out towards the window, and I sensed Ruana do the same. Taking a slow breath, I whispered the name of a spell that seemed to form out of nowhere on my tongue.

"Dragon's song." I whispered as Ruana pushed air through the opening. The terrible sound fought violently against the change we were forcing upon it. Even through the struggle, I felt my powers finally rise up within me against the tower and Ruana's strength mix with my own.

When I opened my eyes again, I couldn't help but grin. Pink and purple fairy wings shaped like dragon wings drew me away from Ruana's back. The golden band around my neck hooked to violet fabric that just covered my chest, pale lilac dragonscale tights covered my legs and purple heeled boots completed the look.

Ruana, like the other dragons, refused the change to herself, but gladly wrapped her body around me, attempting to shield my body from the negative emotions the window was attempting to force on us.

With our new powers and bond, we began to slowly push against the tower itself. With Ruana by my side, we pressed harder and harder, no longer working against, but working through the negativity until we reached our goal. Now touching the window, the two of us began to manipulate the magic held within the window until the feeling the sound it created harmonized with the rest of the windows that began to sing as we completed our work.

Satisfied with the new feeling the window, Ruana and I exchanged a glance, and then made our way back up to the top of the tower. We were greeted immediately by Bloom, who immediately congratulated the two of us on Dragonix.

Melody waited patiently as we approached her. "You have done well to complete my challenge. I happily grant you my orb's power, but there is something else I must ask of you."

Bloom and I exchanged a glance. "I'm sure we can help." She coaxed.

"I have felt the emotions of my siblings as they have met and died for you. I wish to give you all of my power, so no other can use my might against you."


	16. Andros Threatened

Bloom

Melody's words startled me. "Why?" Was all I could think to say.

The Guardian looked to the sky before responding. "I can sense your adversary, the killer of my siblings. She is filled with malice and rage, and I refuse to allow her to have a chance to take my power. I may be the keeper of the Orb of Emotion, but like Solaria, I desire balance. A harmony that Kala will not bring to Magix. I shall give you my orb, and my inborn power. Your friend may even take my soul if it can assist you in your quest."

"Oh, I don't know if it will help," Musa stammered, just as surprised as I was.

"Melody, you will be trapped in her until she dies." I warned. "You'll just be in the back of her mind."

"I understand more than either of you about such a sacrifice," Melody huffed. "My mind will not change. It is up to her if she wants to take my soul, but you will take all of my power."

With that, the stone set in her throat began to glow brightly. The light continued to build, sapping all color from the brilliant jewel. "I, Melody, Guardian Dragon of Emotion, grant you my orb, and my power. May you hold strong against fear and hatred and allow your heart to guide you through darkness. I give you all that is me, and all that will ever be, in the realm of this planet."

The magic from the orb entered me first, and my breath hitched as its power coursed within me. Next came Melody's inborn power. My entire body felt as if it would burst as more and more power flowed into my dragon fire. Like a bowl filled almost to the tipping point with water. My eyes squeezed shut and my hands clutched at my chest as the feeling began to subside. When I opened them again, my heart sank as Melody began to fade.

The dragon seemed happy though. She had accepted her fate, and even when Musa flew up to take Melody's soul. Like Stella and Tecna before her, Musa feinted after absorbing so much energy. Ruana quickly jumped forwards and caught her before she fell too far.

Using his own magic, Alto opened a portal back to Alfea for us. Ruana settled Musa on her back and cast a sorrowful glance at her father and mother. Allegra whistled something to her while Alto simply grunted angrily, nonverbally demanding us to be on our way.

When we returned to Alfea, we found the others in a worried chaos. While Tecna and a much better looking Tufan showed Ruana to Musa's room, Stella and the others filled me in on what had happened. My body was exhausted from Melody's power, but I couldn't wait.

"Everyone, stay here." I said, quickly running to the closest door. "I'm going to head to Glacial and speak to Sola and Nyemaane. Hopefully they will have some information that might get me to the Guardian before Kala."

I was gone before anyone could follow. Part of me felt bad that I ran off so quickly I was unable to even check on Musa, and another part of me felt even worse for doing the same thing Aisha did. Running off without asking for help was a terrible thing to do for a friend, but I was so worried I couldn't even think about anyone else.

I quickly navigated through the winding halls of Sola and Nyemaane's home. Several times, I slid on the ice, but I didn't have the energy to transform. Sola was the one to find me after I had slid my way into the portal room. I'm sure she thought I was an intruder, as she bared her teeth at me before realizing who I was.

"Mother, what are you doing here?" She happily greeted me.

"I don't have much time. I know the next guardian is Andros. Kala is already hunting him and I need the riddle to find him first."

Sola acted immediately, calling for her sister and quickly twisting her body around Andros on the map. Nyemaane quickly entered the cave, brushing past me in greeting before joining her sister. I watched their dance around the planet, and the two began to glow as they spoke the riddle.

Remember the time, dark oceans did rhyme

For the course of the sea, will not hear your plea

Dragged down by fear, and you will be near

As white coral glows, and pearls cannot grow

When no creature is found, yet movement is around, find the motion that stirs Andros

Sola and Nyemaane accompanied me back to the closest door in silence, but I could feel their anxiety. No one could blame them for worrying though. So far, I have met four of their siblings, and only one of the four is alive now. I can't allow this trend to continue. There are only three guardians left, and I will do anything to keep them safe.

"Thank you, thank you so much!" I hugged the two dragons as they bid me farewell. Using my key, I opened a door to the Sea Palace, which to my knowledge was still on Andros.

Silence greeted me as I walked through the halls of the sea palace. Not one dragon could be found it the brightly decorated rooms. I began to give up hope of finding anyone when I checked Abyss' nursery as a last resort.

"Tsunami!" I called to the male dragon who was busy watching over his five children that were climbing all over his body.

The look of pure relief he gave me was the saddest look I have ever seen. "Bloom, it is so good to see you again!" All five dragonets quickly turned their heads and began to stare at me in pure confusion and curiosity.

"It is good to see you too, and finally meet your children." Sitting on my knees, I allowed the dragonets to approach and sniff me curiously. "What are their names?"

"They do not have any yet." He replied, standing and stretching his long body with a sigh. "We shall name them when they are a year old if they have not chosen a name for themselves by then." Seeing my confusion, he explained further. "Most do not survive to a year. We have already lost three, and them not having names helps ease the loss."

"Oh," Was all I could think of saying as I stroked one of the female's muzzle. I wanted to stay with the six longer, but I couldn't waste any more time. I had to find Andros. "Tsunami, where is Abyss and the others?"

"They have all gone to the Andros Abyss, the place Queen Abyss was named after. All of us sensed an evil presence enter the Abyss, so the Queen left with all her soldiers to try and stop it from reaching the Guardian. I had to stay behind…" He trailed off, casting a longing glance to the door and then to his kids.

"I understand." Pushing one of the dragonets off my lap, I stood and dusted myself off. "The presence you sensed was most likely Kala. I have to go after her."

He nodded in understanding and gathered up the children so none could slip out the door as I left. He told me where I could find the breathing necklaces just in case I needed one or two on the journey.

It took me a moment to get my bearings in the vast open water once I had left the palace. There were several times that I had visited Andros' waters, but I had never taken the time to actually learn my surroundings. Even if I did though, I doubt I would be able to find my way around. I suddenly deeply regretted not asking where I was going before leaving Tsunami to his children.

It was far too late to turn back now. I had already wasted too much time trying to get a step ahead of Kala and that might have cost us the guardian of Andros. Digging deep within myself, I attempted to reach out and sense the woman who haunted my thoughts.

Closing my eyes, I took a breath, and allowed my magic to wander. There was a prickle at the very edge of my mind, like a black pin lightly pressing against my temple. Turning, I spread out towards the sensation, and was greeted with the minds of hundreds of dragons, and a very familiar fairy.

Sensing that something was wrong, I hurried towards the group, using my magic to swim faster even though it caused a terrible tightness in my chest. Reaching the large group, I watched Aisha take a shot at Abyss, who easily twisted her body out of the way.

"Aisha, stop!" I cried, placing myself between the two as quickly as I could. "What are you doing?!"

"She knows Kala's down there!" Aisha roared. I had never seen her so angry before. "But she won't let me pass!"

"Abyss?" I turned towards the dragon queen.

"She will not save Andros. Bloom, you are the one that must go after the dark woman." Abyss reached out her neck and I lightly touched her snout. "I will guide you as far as I can, but you alone must find our guardian."

Looking into the dragon's eyes, I hesitated for a moment. She was so sure of her decision, but I knew in my heart she was wrong. "I am grateful for your help, but Aisha will be coming with us."

Abyss looked as if she wanted to argue, but only snorted in reply. She wasn't happy, and I really couldn't blame her, but I could sense that Aisha was important to this mission, and she had to come. I could practically feel Aisha still fuming behind me, so I turned and shot her a warning glance.

She opened her mouth to say something, but then she seemed to rethink and just nodded. With the situation now calmed down as much as it possibly could be at this point, so Abyss turned to her subject, ordered them to guard the Abyssal entrance, and the three of us began to dive down.

It didn't take long for Aisha and I to realized that neither of us would ever be able to keep up with the water dragon. Swimming closer to Abyss, I asked her permission and she gladly allowed me to hold on to her fin as she swam.

"Aisha, come on." I waved her over. "It'll be faster this way."

"I'm fine. I've been swimming on my life. I think I can keep up with a water dragon." She answered, stubbornness practically dripping from her voice as she began to swim harder to keep up.

I was in no mood to put up with her though. My body felt tense and exhausted, and my mind was too panicked by the idea of Kala getting to the Guardian first to even attempt kindly convincing Aisha that this was the better way.

Abyss also wasn't in the mood apparently either. "Either get on my back or we shall leave you behind, princess!" She snapped. With a strong flick of her tail, the dragon queen easily sent the two of us meters ahead of my friend.

Aisha kicked her legs furiously to keep up, but it was no use. She may have grown up on a water world and was a water fairy, but nothing compared to a creature physically designed to swim. After another small stroke, Abyss had lost Aisha to the darkness and gradually slowed her pace to allow her to catch up.

"Fine! You two win." She grumbled as soon as she came back into sight. She cast me an angry glare, but suddenly her face turned very surprised, quickly followed by worry. "Bloom, are you feeling okay?"

I was surprised by the sudden question. "Tired, but fine. Why?"

 **Aisha**

I watched Bloom's face carefully as she responded to my question. Her eyes were dark and exhausted, and her skin was worryingly pale. She also wasn't holding herself as strongly as normal, allowing herself to slouch and her head tilted down.

A large part of me didn't believe her, but the confusion in her voice made me realize that she might not know how ill she looked. Taking a mental note of her condition, I decided to keep an eye on her just in case she got worse.

Now with no reason to hold back, Abyss beat her tail hard, pinning down her fins in order to swim faster. Her serpentine body cut through the water currents with ease, occasionally throwing out a leg to keep steady.

The entire swim down, we hadn't seen any other creatures. Truth be told, it was unimaginably dark and seemed to be getting darker still, but there was literally nothing living around us. The question was on the tip of my tongue, but Abyss began to speak.

"Andros' Abyss was once called the Mardros Abyss, after a great salt wyvern that guarded the third level. His name was eventually forgotten and confused with the Guardian's name unfortunately."

"Salt wyvern? Third level?" Bloom exchanged a confused glance with me.

"Salt wyverns only reside in the abyss as they enjoy eating salt deposits and brine pools that reside in the depths. They are virtually blind, but do occasionally come to the surface and stretch their wings. They're actually surprisingly efficient fliers though they live primarily in the water." She explained. "There are five levels of the Mardros Abyss. The first level is the water above it, the second was when light still pierced through the water. We are in the third, fast approaching the fourth. Nothing resides in this level. There is nothing for plants or animals of any sort here. The fourth level is where things get interesting."

I could almost hear the smirk on her scaly face. She seemed so kind and regal when I first met her, at the Sky palace for Bloom's coronation. My father and uncle were furious to learn that the sea palace was on Andros waters, and everything went downhill. We had several meetings with the Queen before Bloom got involved, and defiantly took her side over one of her best friends.

As we dove even deeper than I thought possible, I began to see an actual light at the end of the tunnel. There seemed to be something glowing as the deep hole bottlenecked to a narrow opening for an Abyss.

Instead of diving through, she settled against the rock walls surrounding the glowing hole. "I cannot go any farther. The brine will harm my gills."

"Wait a sec, if that's brine, we shouldn't go down there!" I jumped up to grab Bloom, who began to swim forwards to investigate.

"There are brine pools all around the fourth level, making the surrounding water saltier than the above water." She snorted. I swear she rolled her eyes at me. "The salt will collect on my gills and suffocate me. You two shall be fine. I would never lead a human, especially Bloom, to her death unless it was deserved."

"That's why you kept the dragons from following." Bloom said quietly. I flinched at her words, suddenly feeling bad for accusing her of leading us to danger. "You wanted to keep everyone safe."

"Alright, alright," I raised my hands in surrender, turning my back to the dragon. "So we just keep going down, right?"

"Yes. Be wary though. Salt wyverns are not the only species that reside down there." She said goodbye to Bloom, and the two of us dove down deeper than possibly any human has ever gone into the Andros- er, the Mardros Abyss.

The light emanating from the tunnel ended up being white corals that gave off a haunting bioluminescence. The white corals weren't the only glowing life down here. Fish, eels, and other glowing sponges and plant life speckled the dark rocks that still formed cliffs, diving deeper down into the darkness.

The water was so much heavier and colder down here. Only our magic kept us safe from the crushing pressure that would have killed any normal human. Actually, it just might kill Bloom anyways, regardless of her magic. Her breathing was hard and ragged, but she pressed on anyways.

We swam downwards for some time, and I began to miss Abyss' help. We weren't making much progress using our arms and legs, especially with Bloom dragging behind. I tried not to worry too much about her, but something in my gut told me there was something to worry about.


	17. Andros' Abyss

knight7572- because the show has completely given up on their old ideas even though they were actually interesting and started focusing their show on a younger audience who doesn't give a crap about the rest of the world so they don't try to develop the rest of the world anymore.

 **Aisha**

Continuing down, our pace slowed slightly. No human has ever dove this far into the abyss and survived, so nothing could prepare me for the brilliant creatures and plant life that continued to grow more and more numerous as we swam downwards.

The rock walls surrounding us grew tighter, but were riddled with holes and tunnels, some of which brine waterfalls filtered down gracefully. The glowing white corals now dominated most of the rock walls, but long kelp-like plants hung from floating rocks that seemed to be held up by balloon-like isopods that clung to the cold surface. All manner of crabs and eels crawled in and out of nooks and crannies, and strange, illuminated fish hid as we passed.

My strength was beginning to give out. We had been swimming for hours, and my limbs tingled whenever I forced them to move. Bloom was clever enough to attempt to break off a little rock from the floating stones to help her sink, giving her limbs a rest, but the rock began to float upwards instead of staying suspended like it was. The isopod atop it let out a sad little wail that was barely audible, but Bloom quickly grabbed the kelp, bringing it back down and returning the rock to the creature.

"Aisha…" Bloom gasped. "I don't know how much longer… I can keep up with you."

I was by no means exhausted, but when I turned to look at her, I could barely keep a straight face. Her entire body was trembling with effort, and her chest heaved, trying to get as much oxygen as possible. "Let's head over to that clear spot near the brine pool. We both need a break."

I could see in her eyes that she wanted to argue, but something else was pleading for a break. Her confliction was understandable. Kala had all night to get to the Guardian while Bloom sought out Melody. She might not have had the assistance of a water dragon for half of it, but they were probably still very far ahead of us.

Taking her wrist, I pulled my weak friend down to the cold stone. I flinched at first at the icy surface, but my burning muscles welcomed the sensation. Lying flat on my stomach, I allowed my limbs as much contact as possible in order to sooth the ache, and Bloom did the same.

"How much longer do you think we have to reach Andros?" Bloom asked.

"I was about to ask you the same thing." A chuckle escaped my lips. It was an ironic one, but all I could give to lighten the mood.

Bloom was silent for a moment, and I knew my effort went unnoticed. "I sense something. It's weird though. It's like a dull light, but a huge dull light just below us. I can't figure out exactly where or how far away it is."

She was rightly frustrated. I wasn't there when she first learned about her power, the Dragon Flame, but the idea of wielding part of the power that created the universe was almost unbelievable, and must have seemed like a huge responsibility. Now, not only was she the guardian of that power, but now the reincarnation of the being and now on a mission to gather the rest of that being's power. With all of that, she still can't sense where to go next. I can't imagine how infuriating that must be.

We rested for a short period of time, but soon became antsy. Sitting up, I gathered my strength as Bloom struggled to stand. Without any warning, a large head swiftly peaked up from the rocks below. Startled, Bloom fell down as I jumped up, ready to defend her if needed.

The dragon watched us for a moment. Her head raising up above us on a long neck. Summoning another orb of light, I was captivated by the creature. Spotted with white, her plum and dark pink scales were dull under a layer of some kind of mineral. The white spots even seemed to be more like rocks or sand against her skin. Her glowing aqua eyes only regarded us for a moment before refocusing on the brine pool. A large wing with two long fingers braced itself on the rock as the massive, horned head sank into the salty water.

To my shock, the dragon drank deeply from the pool. "Um… hello?"

She completely ignored me, so Bloom made an attempt. "Excuse me?"

Lifting her head, the dragon took in a deep breath. Water flowed back out of the seven gills hidden behind the scale plates on her neck. Her eyes rolled, and I felt immediately insulted as she turned to look at us.

"Are you two with them?" She asked, her voice completely bored.

"With who?" Bloom asked in return. "Please excuse us. I am Inferno Bloom, and this is my friend Aisha, crown princess to the human throne of Andros. We have come alone." She introduced us. I don't believe the dragon could care any less, but she responded anyways.

"I am Chenoa. If you have come alone, why have more humans ventured down her as of late?" Her voice began to turn suspicious.

"We have come to find the Guardian, Andros." I explained. "Another woman, Kala, and her group are after the orb." Now, I had her attention.

"Why are you looking for the guardian?" Her glowing eyes narrowed and her claws dug into the stone.

Bloom stepped forwards. "I am also in search of his orb, but I don't want to steal it. We want to earn it from Andros, and save him from the fate of his siblings, most of which have died because of Kala."

It was the first time I had heard Bloom blame someone in such a way. It was almost unnatural coming from her mouth, but the conviction in her eyes kept me quiet. I've already learned it's a bad idea to argue in front of a dragon.

"You wish to help Andros?" She seemed almost surprised, and when the two of us nodded in response, she groaned. "Climb upon my back while I drink my fill. Then we must return to the battle."

She obviously didn't want to help us, so she must have been in desperate need of assistance. And battle? Was Kala already engaged with Andros, or were there more dragons like Chenoa defending their Guardian like all the temples before?

Chenoa began to drink again, and her belly began to gargle as we swam over her shoulders and positioned ourselves on her back. It was rough, and upon closer inspection, I found the roughness to be dried salt. The water must be really salty where she lives to have so much covering her. Our new position also allowed us to get a better look at the dragon. She was like almost every other wyvern that I had seen, with just a few variations. Her tail was long and the spines running down it were webbed to act as a propeller. Her body was serpentine and her legs were short and muscular. Her wings were longer than any other dragon I had seen that was also about her size, which was just slightly taller than Alake but twice as long.

She was made for this place. Using her wings as giant paddles, she powered us down even deeper into the dark depths. I would even claim she was faster than Abyss.

"So, Chenoa," I broke the uncomfortable silence surrounding us. "How far down is the fight? Is the Guardian involved?"

She didn't respond immediately, but I felt her chest expand in an exasperated huff. "It won't be long now, so prepare yourselves. Also, we are nowhere near Guardian Andros. He resides in the seventh."

"Seventh?" His answer surprised me. "I thought there were only five levels of the Abyss."

"Five for those who don't know how to go deeper." She looked back, and a sly smile crossed her face. "Only those who can solve the riddle of Andros can go deeper, and pass through the trial of the sixth level. Only then will one come face to face with the Guardian."

"Awesome." I couldn't hold the sarcasm from my voice, taking a quick glance at Bloom, who was still struggling to keep her breath steady.

Chenoa proved herself right about the distance to the battle. Small lights began to appear from the depths and we were nearly greeted with a fireball to the face as Kala attempted to ward off several Salt Wyverns.

One exceptionally large wyvern swam up to us with a single wing beat. "Chenoa, are you filled? Who are they?"

"I am." She nodded her head slightly. "This is Inferno Bloom and her friend Aisha. They have come to stop that human, Kala.

The dragon seemed very surprised. "Oh, Chenoa! You may have saved us all!"

"Chief?" Chenoa was rightly bewildered. Bloom and I exchanged a confused glance.

"I heard the great Guardian's voice in the waves." He excitedly bobbed his head. "You must take the two down to the gateway! Go, quickly!" With a pump of a wing, he swam behind Chenoa and attempted to push her downwards.

"But the battle?! I have Salt!" She stumbled, attempting to stay up.

"We shall be fine! Go, before she notices you!"

"Too late for that." I warned. Bloom watched the woman with a dangerous stare. If she was this out of it already, Kala most certainly sensed her too.

My theory was confirmed almost immediately as before the dragons and I could even blink, Kala was right on top of us. My heart jumped through my chest as I tried to jump between her and Bloom. My friend was already ten steps ahead of me though, because when I glanced towards her, she was freaking gone. With a new energy, she jumped away from us and had disappeared into the darkness behind us.

Chenoa was the first to react. Her chest quickly expanded, and she blasted out a hunk of molten salt that was coated in a strange fluid. Kala had just moved away from the clump when the fluid dissolved and the salt exploded in her face.

"Chenoa, go!" Chief roared, immediately chomping down on her closest limb, which was her left leg, and threw her back towards the other dragons as they charged for us.

Apparently, not only could Chenoa spit exploding salt, she could also see in the dark as with two beats of her large wings, we had caught up to a visibly panicked Bloom. Still in her Kala trance, I snapped her out of it with a few snaps and a somewhat gentle smack. "Hey, you okay?"

"We have to get out of here." She whimpered, the fear in her eyes was unlike anything I had ever seen in a person. "I can't face her. I can't. She'll kill me."

"You won't have to." I reassure. "At least not yet. Come on, we have to find Andros. Chenoa, get us out of here!"

The dragon didn't answer, but sped down at an unbelievable speed. Her wings spread far and wide, scooping away at the water in order to move faster and faster, her tail even lashing about to move even faster. It took all of five minutes for us to somehow finally reach the rock bottom of the abyss.

"Wait, how do we get to the sixth level?" Bloom started, her voice shaking with worry.

"Just wait until we get down to the stone before you ask silly questions. "She snapped. The entire way down, Chenoa did nothing but snarl to herself, obviously agitated by having to run instead of staying and fighting Kala.

She carefully drifted down to the stone, where Bloom and I jumped off. Bloom staggered for a moment, but didn't fall, refusing my hand to steady herself.

"The gateway is over here." Chenoa guided us to a lone pillar in the barren rock-scape. "You must solve the riddle and then pass the trial of Andros, and then you shall find the guardian."

"Bloom, did you happen to get the riddle from Sola and Nyemaane?" I asked, suddenly unable to remember if she had told me about it or if I had even asked.

Remember the time, dark oceans did rhyme

For the course of the sea, will not hear your plea

Dragged down by fear, and you will be near

As white coral glows, and pearls cannot grow

When no creature is found, yet movement is around, find the motion that stirs Andros

"I don't know where to begin with this one." She shrugged. "I think the dark oceans rhyme part might be about the Abyss' old name, Mardros, because it rhymes with Andros, and the white corals that glow was the coral about a mile or so above us, but that's all I've got."

"Hmm, there are patterns on the pillar." Swimming closer, I began to trace the black lines. "One second."

Using my magic, I forced the water around the pillar to move, whirling around the object in order to get rid of the algae and grime covering most of the image. Once fully revealed, the black lines turned out to be a serpentine dragon with no limbs or wings. It circled the pillar, the head facing upwards with its jaws wide open.

"For the course of the sea, will not year your plea, Dragged down by fear…" I recited two of the lines in the riddle. Thinking back to what Stella said about the riddle she faced, I swam up to the head and inspected it closer. Its face was fairly simple. Two curved horns sprouted from the back of its head, and the jaw was lined with tentacles, almost mimicking a beard.

Lightly, I placed my hand in between its jaws. My fingers fit neatly between its teeth, which began to glow as I allowed my hand to stay against the cold stone. Chenoa took in a breath and Bloom quietly cheered as the black lines began to glow, traveling down all the way to the bottom of the pillar.

Suddenly, the mouth clamped shut. Startled, I jerked my hand away, or at least I tried to. The still black tentacles jumped off the pillar and wrapped tightly around my arm. There was a loud sound, and the pillar suddenly sank down at least a foot into the rocky bottom.

"Bloom, get back!" I cried, still struggling to free my hand. Chenoa jumped forwards, her clawed wings surrounding me as she attempted to pull me away as well.

"It has been ages since a human has come for my challenge." A deep voice echoed through my head as the pillar jolted down again. "You have even found a dragon partner to assist you. I am impressed.

"Who are you?" I shouted, unable to keep the panic from my voice.

"Andros," Bloom called out suddenly. "It's Andros!" Chenoa and I looked at her in shock. "Guardian Andros, please, listen to me! You are in danger! Someone has come to steal all of your power!"

"I know, dear mother." The voice responded. "You are too frail for my challenge. Your friend shall do nicely though."

The pillar was already half sunken into the ground, which was now collapsing as well. "Bloom, you have to get out of here!" I called to her again. "Keep safe, I'll be back as soon as I can!

No longer attempting to struggle, Chenoa and I allowed the ground to completely swallow us.

Bloom

I watched the two disappear into the ground along with the glowing pillar.

"Andros?" I call out to the guardian. No answer. "Aisha? Chenoa?"

Once again, nothing replied to me. Unsure of what to do, I began to investigate my surroundings. There was no visible living things down this deep. No plant life could survive in this darkness, and with very little places to hide and little to no movement in the water, I couldn't sense any life around me. Even Chenoa and Aisha's life force disappeared from my senses as soon as they sank into the ground.

Looking around the area where the pillar had sank, I found the seal of Andros etched into the stone. "Movement," I whispered to myself, translating its draconic meaning.

Bending down to touch the engraving, something suddenly pounded in my chest. My heart palpitated, causing me to cough. An immense pressure formed within my skull and my entire body tightened as I sensed her coming for me.

Looking up, my heat vision instinctively activated. The form was small, but undeniably there. Kala had beaten the dragons.

 _Get away_.

A single chant began to beat in every fiber of my body.

 _Get away. Get away. GET AWAY._

Panic swelled in my body. I was exhausted, and my body was aching. I was in no condition to fight Kala, but she didn't care. In fact, she was probably coming after me now _because_ of my condition.

She continued down quickly, for a human. Thankfully, she was not fast enough to be an immediate threat. Thinking quickly, I looked for an escape route. There was nothing but open water for miles around us. Looking back to where the pillar disappeared, I let out a sigh.

"Sorry, Aisha. I have to go."

Pulling what little magic I could from my exhausted body, I ran.


	18. Bloom Down

**Aisha**

Chenoa and I held on to the pillar tightly as the ground morphed around us. My eyes squeezed shut instinctively as a gritty sand covered my face.

The sensation only lasted a few moments though. Cold water soon surrounded my body, and I allowed myself to crack open an eye. Pitch black waters surrounded us. The pillar that my hand was attached to finally released its grip on me and fell away into the darkness.

"Are you alright?" Chenoa asked.

"Yeah, are you?" She answered me with a gruffing sound, and by the sound of the moving water, I guessed she was looking around.

"Yes."

"Umm, where are we?"

"The sixth level of the Abyss, Andros' Challenge." It took her a moment to reply, but that still didn't help.

"So, what are we supposed to do? Keep swimming down?" My question was answered before I could get it all out.

Suddenly, a current blasted us upwards. Chenoa wrapped her long wings around me and I felt her back collide with the rock ceiling we had just fallen out of. She cried out in surprise more than pain, and something in my chest tightened. I didn't like that sound at all.

"What was that about?" I cried.

"I've never felt a current like that…" Chenoa sounded genuinely surprised, which was a surprising change from her monotone voice. "Is this part of the challenge?"

The current suddenly picked up again, pulling us harshly to the left. Quickly flipping around, Chenoa kept one wing tightly wrapped around me while the rest of her claws dug into the stone, keeping us from flying off into the black waters.

"What the heck?!" The current was stronger this time. Chenoa's claws scraped against the walls as the water pulled at us. Also unlike the first black, this current kept coming.

Without warning, the waters suddenly changed their mind and began to tear us to the right. Due to the fact that Chenoa doesn't have recurved claws, the current pulled her right from the rocks, and me along with her.

Fighting the current took both wings, so I latched onto Chenoa's neck as her powerful limbs beat furiously to keep us straight. "Hang on!" She called to me.

Seeming how much she was struggling, I decided to use my magic to help. Forcing the water away from us, I was able to create a bubble, blocking us from the worst of the current.

"Did, you do that?" Chenoa asked, finally able to catch her breath.

"What, the bubble?" Her glowing eyes bobbed up and down, so I assumed she had nodded. "My magic is morphix based, but I have a really good grasp on water too."

"Morphix? I never knew a fairy could use that kind of magic."

"What do you mean?" Her confusion surprised me.

"Morphix is old magic on Andros. Legends say the great dragon created the power especially for the guardian of this planet. Have you ever found it strange to create a completely new substance that can be both malleable and hard depending on what you will it to be?"

"Uhhh, it was strange when I was a kid. All my friends and family who had magic all had water magic. My morphix was just something special that I could do." Her praise suddenly had me a bit self-conscious.

"Did you even notice that the ground we sank into was morphix rock?" The question took me completely off guard.

"Those were morphix rocks?"

Chenoa's glowing eyes settled on me for a moment. "Have you never met someone with your abilities before?" Shaking my head, I heard her hum in thought. "You might be the first of your kind, or have an incredibly rare ability for fairies."

"I've never even thought about it before. That's kinda cool."

Our conversation was cut off as the current blasted us again. Little holes began to form in my bubble, and it became clear that the challenge wouldn't be that easy. The second current blast completely shattered the bubble, blasting us further away from where we began.

"If the guardian is in the seventh level, we have to go down!" I shouted to her over the sound of rushing water. "Maybe the challenge is to fight the currents?"

"That almost seems too easy, but it's the only option we have." Chenoa began to beat her wings furiously, fighting to stay upright.

Forming a bubble again to ward of the worst of the water pressure, I climbed onto the salt wyvern's back. After a moment to take a breath, we began to push down against the currents.

We made good progress for a while, fighting for every single inch of ground, but things just continued to get harder and harder. The water grew heavier around us, making it harder to breathe and think properly, and the current had turned almost unbearably cold.

Chenoa was struggling to keep steady as the currents constant change in direction always ended up throwing us to one side. The bubble began to shield us less and less the deeper we dove, and Chenoa had already done so much swimming and fighting that she had to be close to her limit.

Desperately thinking about how to ease her struggles, I thought back on the riddle.

Remember the time, dark oceans did rhyme

For the course of the sea, will not hear your plea

Dragged down by fear, and you will be near

As white coral glows, and pearls cannot grow

When no creature is found, yet movement is around, find the motion that stirs Andros

All of the lines seemed to have their answer at this point. The first was the location of the guardian, and the second was probably about the struggle of getting down to the fifth level, and how the ocean wouldn't help at all. The third was the pillar, and forth were the white corals we passed diving down here. The last line seemed to be about the sixth level of the abyss, as there was literally nothing living down here except for us, but the currents were crazy.

There was something weird about the riddle though. The lines weren't in chronological order. Bloom and I saw the corals before getting dragged down by the pillar…

A thought came to me. Was the dragged down part not over yet? My mind almost immediately rejected the idea. Who knows where the current might drag us, or which one would pull us up and away from our goal. But, something in my gut said otherwise.

"Chenoa…" I began, trying to phrase my idea in some way that she might agree to. "I think we need to let go."

"Let go?" She was rightfully startled.

"Let's let the current drag us to wherever it leads to." My body cringed at my own words. We would eventually reach the next level continuing on as we were, but Kala was close behind us, and we don't have that kind of time. We honestly didn't have anything to lose by trying.

She was silent for a moment. "Okay."

Whipping her long tail about, she popped the bubble I held around us, spread her wings like a parachute, and allowed the current to immediately rip us away. Pulling us hard to the right, I desperately clutched Chenoa's neck, trying to keep from getting pulled away from her.

"What the hell, Chenoa?" I cried. "A warning would have been nice!"

"You said to let go." She expertly glided through the current, now much steadier than before. "So I did."

"Without a warning." She gave an exaggerated sigh, and didn't respond.

My eye twitched with annoyance, but I couldn't bring myself to be mad at her. This was apparently just the way she was. Aloof and unworried. It was kind of refreshing since everyone I know, including myself, is stressed to the max about Kala and Bloom.

The current pulled us far away from our original location, bringing us close to the entrance of the sixth and making all of our previous efforts worthless. Suddenly, the current pulled us down. It was already the fastest current I had ever seen and felt, but somehow we began to go faster.

At some point, the water no longer felt as if it was crushing me, and the chill slowly ebbed away. Taking a deep breath, I sighed with relief.

"This is much better than swimming. Even better than flying too." Chenoa purred. I couldn't help but chuckle at her response. Despite her nature, she was immediately so trusting of me, allowing herself to be swallowed up by the ground as well as this current, and even before that, she trusted Bloom and me enough to ferry us down to help fight Kala. I will never be able to repay her.

My feelings of gratitude and adoration began to change into something else. Reaching out of my body, I felt my powers connect to Chenoa. She acted as if she didn't notice, but I could sense her reach out as well.

My transformation was a fast one. A royal blue fabric stretched across my chest and connected to a golden band around my neck. Skin tight, matching blue tights covered my legs and pthalo blue, almost black boots formed around my feet. My wings were plum and blue, and shaped almost like dragon wings. Chenoa, like almost all of the other dragons before her, refused her own transformation.

"So, this is dragonix?" I mused aloud. "I like it. What do you think?"

"I feel strange, but not really." Chenoa hummed. "I guess we should stay close after this, but wherever you go needs to have lots of salt. I need salt to fight."

"I'm sure we'll have plenty of salt for you at Alfea." Withholding a laugh, I stroked the back of her armored neck.

Silence returned, but neither of us really needed to talk. After some time, I noticed something. Several somethings. Small, white, glowing dots began to form under us, growing brighter and larger as we descended.

The sound of moving water that was nowhere close to us made the hair on my skin stand up. Even Chenoa seemed a little worried. Finally, the current let us go. Squinting at the glowing dots, I realized that they were large corals, and silently celebrated my correct guess.

"By the dragon!" Chenoa gasped. Looking about, I tried to find what had startled her. Sensing my concerns, she whispered. "The shadows…"

The shadowy waters had become choppy due to the light cast by the corals. It was strange though. Corals are normally attached to something. Suddenly, the shadows shifted. My eyes shot back to the closest coral and began to trace a path between the glowing objects. A massive, incredibly long body…

A large, dark mass moved towards us, but we were frozen in both fear and wonder. Two glowing eyes regarded us, and I felt lost in their golden depths.

"Finally, you two have arrived." The guardian purred. Andros had no limbs. His blue-black, snakelike body was dotted with the white corals. His face was sharp like a viper's, and a tentacle beard lined his lower jaw, with just a few tendrils flaring upwards like a catfish on his upper lip.

"Great Andros, we have completed your challenge," I began, trying not to shake in his presence. "We have come for your orb, and to warn you that you are in danger."

"I am well aware, daughter of Andros." His chuckle stirred the water around us.

"Well, we won, so can you give us the orb?" Chenoa asked, now much more relaxed knowing the creature was the guardian.

"Not to you." He replied. Her annoyance was evident without speaking or even making a sound. "Neither of you could handle its power. Only mother could survive it, though I doubt her human body will contain it for long."

I blinked. "What do you mean? Will the orb hurt her?"

"The orb will rejoin the dragonfire in her soul, so it itself cannot harm her, but each time she regains the orbs or even our inborn power, her soul and power grows larger. Think of her body as a lake. If the lake is too low, its surroundings cannot survive. When the lake has too much water and overflows…"

"Then everything around it could drown." I finished. "How can we help her? How can we stop it from overflowing?"

"I'm afraid nothing shall stop the inevitable, but there are a few things that might assist her until her quest is completed. The Golden Staff of Ra-Hana will assist. It is a self-duplicating staff that one can channel excess power into."

"Oh!" I couldn't hold my excitement. "I think I know exactly where that is!"

"Good, good," He purred, nodding his massive head. "Second, she must find a partner that can handle such power."

"A partner? Like how I am to Aisha?" Chenoa asked.

"Yes. Even now, Aisha is channeling her magic into you. It shall give you new strengths and abilities, but also an outlet for your human bond. This outlet shall be invaluable to Bloom."

"Okay, a staff and a partner," I counted off. "Is there anything else?"

His head suddenly jerked upwards. Staring silently into the black, Andros snarled lightly. "Yes. Find last flame of the Guardian of Strength. It shall give her enough energy to hold back her powers for a little longer. Now, climb on."

"What?" Chenoa and I gaped.

"Kala draws near, but I must find mother immediately. Hide away under one of my scales, and I shall take us all to the surface."

"But what if we run into Kala? She'll steal all of your power!"

"Not if I willingly give her the orb."

"What?!"

"I would truly rather give everything I have to Mother, but we shall not make it otherwise. If she does manage to take everything from me, I beg of you, guard my soul. I wish to be of some use to her, even if I am trapped in a human body."

Chenoa had done as the guardian asked while he spoke, swimming under and hooking her talons in the smooth skin under one of his scales. Before I could respond, Andros was in motion. Water stirred around us, and the corals began to glow brighter and brighter as he gathered energy.

Without warning, we were off like a rocket. His tail propelling us upwards at an astounding speed. Even hidden under one of his large scales couldn't completely protect us from the force of his movements or the water that tried pulling us away. With a terrible cry, Andros easily swam through the morphix rock dividing the fifth and sixth levels of the abyss.

He continued on without a second thought. Looking back, I saw Kala appearing momentarily surprised before using her powers to latch onto the guardian. Andros' orb was set at the base of his long tail, and easily gave up its power as the guardian swam on.

It wasn't long before Kala was completely out of sight, and the waters around us began to grow lighter. Holding on tightly, I squeezed my eyes shut as the guardian swam like an arrow for the surface.

Andros broke through the surface with all of the grace and power that can be expected of the massive guardian, and finally I took a breath of fresh air. It was nice being at the surface, but a thought plagued me.

"Bloom was still down there!" I cried. "We have to go back for her!"

Chenoa climbed down from under the scale like a bat, and the two of us groaned as light battered our eyes for the first time in hours. Once adjusted, I looked about and found we were at a deserted beach. The salt wyvern spread her wings and leaped down to the sandy shore, not wanting to bother the guardian with her sharp claws any longer than she needed to.

When we landed, I saw a figure lying on the beach. It took only two seconds for me to realize who it was.

Running over to her, I knelt down by Bloom's side. "Bloom, Bloom!"

I attempted again and again to stir her awake, but it wasn't working. "She shall not awake for you." The now aged looking Andros soothed. "Find the last part of the Orb of Strength, and only then shall she awaken."

With that, Andros funneled what was left of his power into my limp friend, leaving his soul vulnerable. At a complete loss as what to do, I desperately lunged for him. The Guardian's soul met me half way, and I felt his power and mind seep into me. It was all too much at once though, and my mind slipped into oblivion.


	19. Amos' Stregnth

I want to get your guy's opinion on this story, since everything's pretty much downhill from here. What do you think will happen? And were shall we go next? I would greatly appreciate it if you guys left a quick comment or PM and I will respond as soon as I can!

Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Guest- new chapters come out every other Sunday. Thanks for reading!

 **Bloom**

My body felt exhausted and heavy. It was difficult to breathe, and my head felt as if it was splitting in two. In the dark distance in my mind, I could hear familiar voices call out to me. I didn't have the energy or desire to answer.

It was hard enough to think and dream, let alone wake up.

Around me, hot scales warmed my already burning skin. Grumbling softly, the beast that safeguarded my soul tightened her coils, coaxing me back into oblivion.

 **Stella**

Bloom didn't even shift in her coma-like sleep. A tired Aisha returned to Alfea with her new dragon partner Chenoa and an unconscious Bloom four days ago, and her body hasn't moved since.

The fairy of waves explained everything that had happened to us, and I quickly offered to split my staff with both her and Bloom. When the staff duplicated for Aisha, its head took the form of a dragon with tentacles running along its jaw. Aisha said it looked like Andros' head. When I tried to get it to split for Bloom, it didn't work.

Tecna quickly guessed that it was because she was unconscious, and that we had to follow what Andros had said in order to wake her. Daphne quickly got in contact with the Temple of Amos, and has been arguing back and forth with the curator for days about allowing us to take the magic inside the body of Meremoth and the Mad Sorcerer's research. The curator was reluctant to let go of such treasures. She was willing to give us copies of notes and essays, but the body was something she refused to budge on.

The power might technically belong to Bloom due to the fact that she wields the power the orb came from, but we couldn't just take it without permission. It finally came to the point to where we had to cut our losses and simply accept her offer before she refused to give us anything. The people of Amos were strong willed- bordering on stubborn for no reason- to say the least.

"Don't worry, Bloom." I whispered to her, brushing her bangs away from her eyes. "We'll find a way to wake you up."

Daphne and Thoren stayed behind to watch over Bloom while the guys, dragons, and us left for Amos. The trip was a short one, and before I really felt ready, we were landing outside the temple where the curator awaited our arrival with two armed guards.

All of us were already on edge due to the fact that the one thing that could awaken Bloom was being refused to us, but the guards and the woman's smug smile nearly sent me over the edge in anger. Alake gave a soft grumble and nudged my shoulder. He acted calm, but I could see the annoyance in his eyes.

"Welcome, Winx, Specialists, and dragons!" She opened her arms in a grand gesture of greeting. "I'm afraid I shall have to ask your dragons to remain outside. All of them are much too large to safely move through the halls and stairwells. The rest of you shall follow me up to the highest level of our beloved Tower. The documents you seek are there, and there you can also _view_ Meremoth's body."

Aisha and I exchanged an annoyed glance, but we all silently followed the woman as she began to ramble about the _glorious_ history of Amos. We wound up the staircases with the two guards trailing close behind us as her rant finally began to get a bit interesting.

"The Guardian dragon our planet was named after was one of the strongest in all of Magix. He would spar with his closest brother, Eraklyon, all of the time, but they were the closest of friends. Their friendship cultivated the lifelong partnership between the two planets, which we honor even to this day."

"I didn't know that." Brandon looked to Sky for more, and the woman finally paused briefly to let him speak.

"I never knew the Guardian Dragons existed. I thought they were just stories honestly. Legend says that Eraklyon was the elder brother that Amos looked up to the most, but Eraklyon would never take notice of him since he was young and foolish. Amos trained hard and finally was able to stand against him in a fight, and only then did Eraklyon look at his brother as an equal." He paused to think, then sighed. "I honestly don't know any more about it. I never believed in the stories."

"Amos actually bested Eraklyon in that fight, young man." The woman gave a proud smile, then rambled on about the _true_ story. I couldn't exactly pay attention due to Solaria's laughing.

" _Amos could never best any of us. The arrogant child lost an eye to Zenith! Zenith!"_ The silver head was howling with laughter.

" _Oh, what a story!"_ The golden head tried desperately to catch his breath.

I coughed to cover a laugh, then turned to the other girls to find all except Flora also holding back and biting their lips to stop from smiling.

Finally, we reached the last floor and the woman unlocked the great chain keeping the door solidly closed and all intruders out. "I'm afraid I have some business to catch up on. The guards shall stay while you look amongst the _papers_."

And with the, the Guards closed the door behind her. The room was like an ancient shrine with a glass coffin in the middle. Shelves upon shelves of neatly stacked books lined the walls, and I suddenly realized the immensity of our task. Before, we could barely find anything even mentioning the Guardians and Dragon Orbs. Now we had to find important things in a library of information about those two subjects.

"Okay," Tecna began. "I'll set up my information scanner with the key words 'Dragon Orb' and 'Guardian', the rest of you take one shelf each."

With a sigh, we all began our search.

Picking the closest shelf to me, I pulled out the first book that seemed interesting and read the cover _History of Amos, the Guardian Dragon_. "Fun…"

Twenty minutes into our search, the first bit of information was found by Helia.

"Apparently, the dragon orbs and the guardian's internal power is self-sustaining, like the Dragon fire. The Mad Sorcerer continuously tried to draw out the power Meremoth stole, but he was never able to draw it all out, so it simply created more and refilled the body. Also, it says that if a piece of the source isn't drawn out with the power, then the power will fade eventually."

"Oh, like when Icy stole Bloom's magic all those years ago!" Sky exclaimed. "Bloom's powers came back while the magic Icy stole from her faded away."

"Yeah, exactly!" Helia was proud of his discovery, but I couldn't see how it could help us.

"So, Kala apparently can draw our every single drop of power from the Guardians and their Orbs, and Bloom can do the same." Tecna muttered, more to herself than the group. "The sorcerer said he could never draw every part of it out."

"But we know why Bloom can do that!" Aisha kicked at the ground, frustrated with the questions that kept popping up. "How can Kala do the exact same thing?!"

"They must be connected, somehow." Flora grunted as she carried a large book towards us. "His apparently is the supposed family tree with every single Guardian Dragon in all of Magix. Limbo, Omega, and even Oblivion are included as well. I never even thought about those places having Guardians."

"Maybe Kala is connected to one of these guardians?" Musa offered. "Too bad we don't know where she came from."

"I might be able to figure that out." Tecna started to type something out on her phone. Pulling up pictures of both Kala and the man that always seemed to accompany her, she began her search. "It might take a while, but this photo database runs through all of the Dimensions. We should find at least one of them eventually."

"Hey, Guys, I might have found something!" Timmy ran over with a smaller diary opened to a particular page.

"What is it?" I tried to get a look at the cover.

"It's a diary of meetings with some dragon named Pyralis. Apparently, he was a prince of the Sky palace. He sensed that the Guardian hadn't entirely returned to the flame and desired to release whatever part was trapped in our world."

"What happened after he found Meremoth and the Sorcerer?" Sky asked.

"It says Pyralis was very understanding of the situation and offered to help release the power from Meremoth's body. The two became friends, and look! He even compares the friendship between dragonix fairies and their partners! Maybe he has some information on Dragonix as well?"

"I'll add that to the search terms," Tecna typed something on her gadget. "Now, what happened to him and Pyralis?"

Timmy flipped to the end of the diary. "Oh, no. It seems that the two had a falling out. They met one day after Pyralis had to return to the Sky palace for a time, and the dragon said he could no longer help or allow the Sorcerer to free the magic from Meremoth."

"Why would he suddenly change his mind like that?" Flora asked.

" _Pyralis said he had a dream. A dream from Inferno herself, he claims,"_ Timmy read. _"He believes that Amos left Meremoth this way for a reason. To keep some of his power safe until it was needed in the future. Pyralis even wants me to cast a hibernation spell over him so he can be there the day the power is removed from Meremoth's body. I refused. He has turned his back on me, so I must turn my back on him. Let him find some other sorcerer that can tomb him away for thousands of years!"_

"Pyralis wanted to be there when the power was removed? Why?" Musa wondered aloud. "Is that the last entry?"

"Second to last." Timmy corrected. "The last one is only three sentences long, saying that the Sorcerer visited Pyralis' cave at the Green Grotto and found the dragon in a deep slumber. After kicking the dragon's side a few times, he left and sealed the entrance."

"So Pyralis did find another way!" Aisha's face slowly lit up in excitement. "Maybe we can find him! Oh, he would know so much about all of this!"

"Well, right now we have to focus on this mess." Tecna motioned to the many shelves we had yet to even touch. "Maybe the dragons can find him?"

"I bet they'd like it better than just sitting around outside." Musa looked between those of us with dragons, and we all nodded in agreement.

The Guards allowed me to pass and I hurried down stairs after Tecna gave me a map on my phone. I presented the phone to Tufan while I told the dragons about our discovery.

"I am sure we can find this Pyralis." Alake stretched and shook out his wings. "We shall return shortly."

 **Ruana**

We waited until Stella had returned inside before taking off with Tufan in the lead. I did not like the fact that none of us could understand him, yet he still took the lead, but he was the only one who could read the map on the small screen.

The flight was thankfully a short one. Fifteen miles was nothing to those of us who could fly. The only problem was that Pyralis' cave was sealed off thousands of years ago, and now houses and a small town dotted all around the Green Grotto.

As we approached, shouts and screams of terror filled the air. I slowed at the sound. For so long I had been hidden among the clouds with my brothers and sisters, dancing through the skies without a single pair of human eyes catching any of us. It was jarring to now inhabit the skies of Alfea, where there was always some human that could notice or sense my presence, but they were kind or simply ignored me. These people immediately despised and feared me.

"Keep the pace." Chenoa lightly battered my horns with her clawed foot, snapping me from my thoughts.

"These humans… they don't like us, but they don't even know us." I whined, confused as to how they already could have such strong feelings about our presence.

"Humans are not fond of dragons." Alake growled. "It is why Pharaoh Dragons stay in the deserts."

"And why Salt Wyverns stay in the abyss."

Tufan had slowed and gave a sympathetic whine and click, agreeing with the two older dragons.

"Do not pay them any mind. The only human that should matter to you is Musa. She is your partner, and she would never fear or despise you." Chenoa glared down at the people, who were ducking under cover as they passed.

"But what if those she cares about do not like me?" Worry began to bubble in my chest. "Allegra and Alto did not like that I helped her, and forced me out because of it. What if her family forces her out because of me?"

Chenoa again kicked my horns, a little harder than before. "Quit your whining! You can air your worries to her when we return. We must focus on our task now."

I hadn't noticed that Tufan had finally began to descend towards the lower center of a green and boulder covered mountain. He let out a series of clicks which all of us understood. We had reached our destination.

"Now, how will we find Pyralis? His cave was sealed thousands of years ago." Alake wondered to himself.

"I might be able to hear his breathing?" I responded. "If he is sleeping, he must still be breathing."

The others grew quiet as I settled down on the rocks. Lying flat on the stone, I closed my eyes and raised my ears. Taking a deep breath and holding onto it, I forced all of my senses to shut down and focus on the sounds around us.

I could hear Tufan, Chenoa, and Alake's heartbeats, the people in the towns we passed talking about summoning dragon hunters or Red Fountain students, and I could hear the animals of the mountains seeking shelter to hide from us.

Slowly, I let the breath out, and took another. Two minutes had passed before I finally heard something. It was slow, but heavy and grumbling. The sound was similar to the great Melody's normal breathing, but on a much lower level. "I hear him."

"Where?" Alake looked to the spot I pointed towards and set to work. His long claws easily tore through the soft grass and dirt, easily prying up stones and flinging them aside as well. "This shall take some time. Chenoa, Tufan, find something for Pyralis to eat when we reach him. He will be ravenous when he awakens after such a long sleep."

The two nodded and flew off as I did what I could to help. It wasn't long before we hit a blockage. There was a massive stone slab resting against more stones. Alake attempted to dig the rest of it out, but it was still far too heavy for us to move on our own.

"We'll have to wait for the others." Alake sighed as he settled down, watching me pick at some of the other stones near the slab. "Are you sure he's in there?"

Pulling at one of the smaller stones, I found that instead of more dirt and stone, there was a deep cave. Listening for a moment, I could now clearly hear the steady breath of a great dragon. "Yes. He is here."

I dug at the stones more, trying to widen the hole as much as possible before the other two returned. Alake stayed back, unfurling his wings to bask and rest before the stone had to be moved.

Chenoa and Tufan returned after thirty or so minutes, both carrying a goat, with Chenoa also carrying a large reptile like creature in her other talon,

"Are you two still not done?" Chenoa groaned, obviously annoyed.

"We cannot move the final stone without help. Ruana has just confirmed that this is where Pyralis sleeps, though."

Tufan dropped his goat and joined me near the hole. Leaning down so one of his foxlike ears covered the opening. He bobbed his head excitedly and began to examine the stone slab before positioning himself to push the stone away.

The rest of us joined him, and on the count of three, we all pushed. Straining hard, we managed to dislodge the stone from the dirt and roots between it and the stone entrance to the former cave. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. With a cry, Chenoa lost her grip and the slab came crashing back towards us.

We all jumped back, but the stone under me collapsed and I fell into the darkness. Right on top of the muzzle of a massive dragon.

I let out a shriek of surprise, which seemed to finally arouse the great dragon from his slumber. Pyralis attempted to lift his great head, which I flung myself off of, and bumped into the stone slab covering the entrance.

With an annoyed groan, he stretched out a clawed hand. I narrowly avoided his wicked talons as he pushed the stone away with ease and let light cascade onto his great body for the first time in thousands of years.

 **Tecna**

Most of what we ended up finding was either irrelevant or things that we had already learned about Dragonix, Guardians, and Orbs. The dragons had been gone for almost two hours at this point, and we had worked our way through nearly everything except for one last journal at the back of the shrine.

Just as I was about to flip it open, my phone beeped. We all turned towards it, startled.

" _Data Found: Image Profiles Opening._ " The device sang, and I ran over to it.

I had completely forgotten that I had done an image search to find out who Kala and her mystery friend were. I read through the information as quickly as possible before relaying it to the others. "Apparently, the man that's always with Kala is her father, a former Zenithian Scientist named Aaron who specialized in magical sciences."

"So Kala's from Zenith?" Stella asked.

"No, her mother, who's deceased, was from Honrian."

"Honrian? Isn't that the planet that hates magic of any kind?" Flora asked as she flipped through the pages of the Book of Guardian Dragons.

"Yes. Apparently, her mother, Dierdre, had magic and fled to Zenith with Aaron after he visited to investigate some of the biological materials on the planet." I read.

"Here's something about Honrian's Guardian." Flora carried the large book over to us. _"Honrian, Guardian of Good. Supposedly born just three days after Eraklyon, Honrian was given a specific task, unlike his many siblings. Honrian was to guard a magical Urn till the end of time, but he was the first confirmed to have returned to the Flame."_

"He was guarding an Urn? Does it say anything about an Orb?" Musa asked, and Flora shook her head.

" _Brother Honrian was not given an Orb."_ Zenith's voice startled me. _"He was given the orb to defend, but without an orb, he was the first to die. He was not strong enough to combat the never ending assaults by his magic fearing people."_

After relaying this to everyone else, I finally opened the journal. " _The Urn of Darkness._ Wow, what timing. _The Urn was given to Honrian, Guardian of Good, who inhabited the now forbidden planet Honrian. I shall attempt to seek out the Urn in order to gain more knowledge of the Guardians and their powers. If I do not write more, I was unable to return. The Urn is said to hold the most evil power in all the Dimensions. Hopefully, I am able to locate it and return with my findings."_

"So, that's where the Mad Sorcerer met his end." Brandon sighed after I found the next page to be blank. "He was probably found out and killed."

"That he was." A voice at the door startled us. We all turned to find the Curator marching in with more guards in toe. "Would you mind explaining why you sent out your dragons and allowed them to terrorize a village near the Green Grotto?"

Musa, Aisha, Stella and I exchanged a glance. I stepped forwards. "We sent them after a lead in the Grotto. Also, They would never purposefully _terrorize_ a village."

"Well, they did! And what lead are you speaking of?" She demanded.

Timmy handed her the book about Pyralis. "We wanted them to see if they could find him."

"Pyralis is long dead. As is the Mad Sorcerer, and Meremoth! I cannot believe you would first demand us to simply give away our temple's most treasured piece _and_ send your dragons off after a fairy tale! Some Guardian fairies you all turned out to be."

"Hey!" Brandon stepped forwards. "We're all just trying to save our friend! The Guardian Dragon of Andros told us we needed the magic from Meremoth, so that's why we came! Pyralis and all these journals are just a bonus."

"Well you shall not destroy such an artifact!" She shrieked. "Guards, escort them out!"

We were all rudely forced out by the Guards, and then locked out of the tower. Stella and Aisha banged on the door in protest, but it was no use. The Curator would not part with Meremoth.

All we could do was wait for our dragons to return and then head back to Alfea. Years ago, we probably would have just stole the body right from under their noses, but this was different. Alfea had too many connections to lose if we broke in, and they would without a doubt know it was us who did it.

Finally, the dragons arrived with a giant friend in toe. Pyralis was very similar looking to Enti. At least two meters taller, Pyralis was much thinner and lankier, but had more wicked spines and horns lining his head, neck, and back. He was also a darker red, and his underbelly and chin were a sunset orange.

"It is an honor to meet all of you," Pyralis bowed. "Has the Inferno Awakened?"

"You know about Bloom?" Sky asked.

"The Great mother sent me a vision of her. She wanted to stop me from releasing the energy from Meremoth so it could go to Inferno Bloom." He explained, turning his head upwards towards the sky, which had already begun to darken.

"Well, it's too bad we can't get to Meremoth. The magic in his body is not for use." Stella grumbled, and Alake gently touched her shoulder.

We explained the situation to Pyralis, and anger lit up his eyes. "Return to your home in Magix. I shall find you soon."

The dragons attempted to protest. None of us wanted to leave the dragon out of time here on such a hostile world, but he refused to listen or even explain was he was going to do. Finally, we had no choice but to do as he asked and return to Alfea.

It was about an hour after we returned to our dorms when there was a loud roar outside our window. We all rushed to the balcony and saw the red dragon carrying what looked like a long box in his mouth.

"No way!" Stella cried before running to open the window to Bloom's room.

Pyralis landed and gently fit the box through the window. The rest of us piled in just as Stella lifted open the container, revealing the body of the aged Sorcerer that was frozen in time. We all cringed at the sight, but within seconds, the body began to glow and a ball of light shot out of Meremoth's chest, bounced off the ceiling, and fused into Bloom.

With that, Meremoth slightly opened his eyes, causing us all to gasp. He looked about our room, and then towards our sleeping friend. A smile broke across his cracked lips. "The flame is strong in her. The mother shall soon be whole again…"

He then looked over to us. "Beware," He began, his eyes falling closed. "Beware the black dragon…"

With that, his body faded to dust. We all exchanged a glance before redirecting our attention towards Bloom, who was finally waking up.


	20. Search for Linphea

Ok so this chapter's coming out a day early due to the fact that I'm going on vacation tomorrow! And I haven't even started packing… Whelp, I'd better get to that. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

 **Bloom**

"So we are in agreement?" King Terran reaffirmed.

Abyss and Enti nodded, but I hesitated. I understood what we needed to do something about Pyralis. Just a few months ago, the dragons had made this grand gesture of rejoining Magix and asked to be respected as rulers of their people. But what happens when a kingdom dragon breaks a human law? On earth, a foreigner is still punished when breaking the laws of a foreign country, but to a point that their home country agrees with.

But should the same happen with dragons? Pyralis was also a creature out of time. He was beyond surprised at how diligently the people of Amos hunted him. In his day, it would have taken years, or a second attack, for him to get caught. In this time, they found him in three hours.

I was against punishing him, but I had some pretty serious bias. Enti had reservations as well, since Pyralis was in fact his great times who knows how many uncle, but knew something had to be done.

Pyralis had to be punished for the destruction of historical objects, and to be punished not only by the laws on Amos, but also the laws of Sky Dragons. Unfortunately, the rulers of Amos would rather handle problem dragons the old fashion way. Our job now, was to convince them that our plan was better.

After the lovely meeting with the ruling family of Amos, I returned to my room in the Sky palace. Thankfully, they had accepted our punishment, for Pyralis to serve as the Ruling family's guardian until the end of his days, with occasional breaks in order to record the history of Amos from his point of view. On one hand, it didn't seem very harsh, but on the other, it robbed Pyralis of his freedom. Giving him, a dragon with immense curiosity about how the world has changed, a massive ball and chain that would be enforced by even his own kind.

I began to change, but paused in front of a mirror near the closet. My skin was dramatically paler than usual, and dark rings circled my eyes. My body also hasn't recovered from being in a coma for almost a week. I was often fatigued and my body was much thinner than the last time I had looked in a mirror.

With a sigh, I took off my necklace and placed it on its stand. I paused to admire my crown. At its center was the head of Inferno, carved into a platinum disc with the three jewels of the dragon rulers forming a triangle around a white diamond in the center of the great dragon's head. It was very touching that the dragons hired a human to design such a beautiful thing, but I still don't feel like I deserve it.

I wasn't a dragon, so how could I even begin to rule over dragons? Sure I was more of an Envoy between humans and dragons, but everyone still treated me as if I was something greater. Many human rulers and other dragons called me 'your highness' or 'your majesty', and while it was often out of respect, some mocked me with the title.

Accusations of my greed were all over tv, saying I was jealous of Daphne, since her return meant I was no longer the crown princess of Domino. Some countered with how I was formally engaged to Sky and would be queen anyways, but theorists believed I wanted more control, so I made the dragons name me as their fourth ruler.

Removing the necklace, I placed it on a stand and pushed it through the mirror. Cloud cast a spell on the mirror and basically made it a door that only I can open. It was a defense mechanism against possible thieves, but I doubt anyone would dare try to steal something from the Sky palace.

Once ready, I took a second to gather myself. After a few seconds, I headed to the portal room where all of my friends were waiting.

"This isn't necessary, guys." I sighed as the dragon guard closed the door behind me.

"Oh, it most certainly is!" Stella countered. "If all of us are together, we can better defend you from Kala and her goons."

"Honestly, I don't think anyone can come between them, though." Aisha sighed, and I pointed at her as an example. She quickly turned on me though. "But it would be better to go as a group from now on. There are only two Guardians that we have to find left. We can't leave anything to chance."

I relented with an exasperated sigh and opened the portal to Glacial. Everyone filed through after me and we made our way through the ice tunnels to find Sola and Nyemaane. We found the twins after some searching, standing before the ice were the silver dragon was trapped.

"Mother!" Sola noticed me first, and anxiously greeted me, pressing her face into my hands and circling me.

Nyemaane followed more slowly and basically collapsed in my arms. Both were clearly upset, so much so that neither could even begin to explain what was wrong. While they wiggled around me, both trying to get as much physical contact as possible, I couldn't help but look at the sleeping dragon.

The ice around her had begun to crack from the changes to her body, which didn't seem too drastic from what I could see. She appeared to be larger than I remembered, and her wings bulged out more, but she appeared to be the same other than that. After watching her for a moment, I finally tried to get something out of the twins.

"Sola, Nyemaane, what's wrong?" I pulled their heads up so they could look at me, and their eyes were full of sadness.

"Nyemaane has had a vision." Sola whimpered. I looked to the sliver dragon, who now refused to make eye contact with me.

"A vision? Of the future?" Musa asked, and I exchanged worried glances with the girls.

Gently, I pulled Nyemaane's head closer to me and spoke softly into her ear. "If you don't tell me what's wrong, I can't fix it."

Her sad blue eyes looked up to me. "Mother, Kala will come after us too."

My body froze. Sola and Nyemaane didn't have orbs, so I assumed they would be completely off her radar. But Kala knew about them. She could see through my eyes apparently whenever she pleased, which was probably how she was able to find the Guardians faster than when she was searching for Eraklyon.

She also knew exactly where to find Eraklyon though, and hadn't made another move to absorb the rest of his power like she had the others.

"Do you know if she's going to go after Eraklyon again?" Sky asked, voicing my question.

"She will, but I believe the orbs take priority to her." Sola replied.

Anger bubbled in my chest at the thought of someone trying to take Sola and Nyemaane away from me. "I won't let them take you." The twins looked up at me in surprise, and my grip around them tightened. "I promise."

With one last glance at the silver dragon, I allowed the two to lead us back to their map. Our next destination was Linphea. After this, there was only one orb left, and I had a fairly good idea as to where the guardian was.

Follow the path, into the trees

Mind the gap, and the keeper's screams

Beware the crags where creatures stand still, Stay silent or they will take your will

Behind the tar, and you are not far

Ice cold liquid, black as night, guarded by fear, Linphea's Life

Sola and Nyemaane recited the riddle as they circled Linphea on the map. Helia turned to his girlfriend. "Does anything sound familiar?"

She was silent for a moment, then her eyes narrowed. "I think it's talking about the Black Swamp. Linphean children are told stories about it if they misbehave, saying that invisible creatures will come and take them to the swamp where nearly everything is out to get you. Only a handful of people have actually gone into the swamp and survived."

"Awesome." Aisha sighed scarcastically. "Do we know where this nightmare swamp is?"

"Yes. It's deep in the Blind Forest, not too far from Lulia." The Nature fairy sighed.

"Isn't that where the Black willow used to be?" Stella asked.

"Yes. Legends say that while Lulia burned, all of the animals escaped into the Blind Forest, a place with such dense vegetation that hardly any sunlight reaches the ground. The fire would have spread to the Blind forest as well, but something defended it. After the fire burned itself out, the ashes of the old trees and brush were blown into the forest, turning the tree trunks grey and fertilizing the soil, allowing for even more plants to grow."

"Wow," Musa breathed. "I guess something good did come out of Lulia's destruction."

"It's the way of nature." Flora shrugged. "Life grows stronger after Death."

Tecna had pulled out her phone and had apparently found an article on the forest. "It says that the forest or something in the forest has magical properties that keep outsiders from using magic. And we can't just drop in from the air. The forest is famous for spiny vines that practically coat the treetops. We'll have to hike to wherever Linphea is."

"Umm, how big is the Blind forest?" Timmy asked.

All eyes turned to Flora, but she looked to Tecna, who's face suddenly turned very pale. "Six point five _million_ __miles…"

"What?!" Everyone stared at her in shock.

I felt tired after just walking up a flight of stairs.

"It's okay, though!" Flora tried to calm us. "There's a lot of detail in the riddle, so I think we can find the best path to her. I just need to visit a friend who lives near the Forest."

With one last hug and a kiss for each, we left Sola and Nyemaane in the temple and returned to the Sky Palace. My friends' dragons all were waiting for us in the courtyard, but none of them would be accompanying us.

"The only dragon who might be able to fit through the foliage are Ruana and Tufan, but your long bodies might get tangled up or grabbed by something you can't easily reach. I'm sorry." Flora explained carefully. All of the dragons were disappointed with the lack of action recently, and were all clearly bored, but there wasn't much we could do.

"How about you all spend the day at the Sky Palace?" I offered, trying to lift their spirits. "I'm sure Enti wouldn't mind some guests, and the Feys would be happy to show all of you around."

This was enough to at least stop them from sulking, but everyone could tell they still weren't happy. We boarded the owl and Flora helped guide the guys to a small house just outside Lulia and the Blind Forest.

"My friend would be fine with the extra company, but his grandfather won't be." Flora stopped us as everyone got ready to leave the ship. "I think only Bloom and I should go. He doesn't like strangers."

Flora and I walked the short distance to the house and saw a young man tending to some large reptile like creature.

"Jeremy?" Flora called out, then waved as the man turned in surprise.

"Is that you, Flo?" He stood and opened his arms wide as she approached. "Man, it's been ages!"

The two hugged, and then kissed each other's cheeks. I was surprised at the show of affection, and raised an eyebrow as Flora turned to introduce me. "Jer, this is my friend Bloom. I'd love to catch up, but we've come to ask Cocidius about the Blind Forest."

"That might not be the best idea…" Jeremy trailed off, scratching the back of his head. "He hasn't been well for a while, and he gets a little too excited when talking about the Forest. I don't want him to hurt himself."

Flora exchanged a glance with me, and I stepped forwards. "Please, let us try. We've come for a very important reason. All we need is possible directions, or landmarks he can tell us about."

"Directions? Wait, don't tell me you guys are planning on going in there?" He turned to Flora, now appearing very concerned.

Flora nodded solemly, and the man thought for a moment. Finally, he looked up at the nature fairy, with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "You owe me one."

"How about we cancel out something you owe me for, and call it even?" She smiled, but I could tell she was hiding something.

"Let's wait until I ask if he even wants to talk. How about you guys keep Boss company out here while I go check?" We nodded as he turned and entered the small house.

As soon as he disappeared, I gave her a knowing look, and she let out a big sigh. "We grew up together. His parents were high ranking officials, and he begged for years to let him marry me, but it wasn't their way. He was betrothed to someone else, so he ran away to live with his grandfather. I never knew what happened, so I moved on. He found me again just two years ago."

"So, were the feelings mutual?" I asked, hoping I wasn't being too invasive.

"To a point. He thought I would wait for him," She paused for a moment, and approached the reptile, who happily nuzzled at her hand. "But three years is a long time to wait, especially when I didn't know what his plan was or where he went."

"Is that why you didn't want the others to come?"

"Partially. I wasn't lying about how Cocidius doesn't like strangers, but I didn't want to accidentally start something." Understanding how she felt, I left it at that.

Jeremy returned shortly and guided us inside. As he asked about refreshments, an old man hobbled into the room.

"So, yee come to des neck of da woods ta lern 'bout de Blind Forest, I hear?" Cocidius sat before us in an old armchair. His skin was darker than Flora's, but his eyes were a lighter green- well, one was. His left iris was a black brown, making him look more wild than his snow colored hair did.

Suddenly, he seemed to notice me. "Who dis tik?"

His happy wild demeanor changed to suspicious bordering on fearful. He was almost out of his chair when Flora stood to sooth him.

"Cocidius, remember me? Flora? Do you remember how I left to go to that fairy school?" The man's gaze flickered between the two of us, but he nodded. "This is one of my friends. A good friend, and one who needs your help."

She nodded to me once he settled back down, and I began to explain our situation with as much detail as needed, but nothing more. I recited the riddle, and there was some recognition in his eyes, finally ending the suspicious glare he had been giving me.

"Oh! You's looking for de Dead Lake. T's not dat far from here." He pointed to a hand drawn map on the wall. "Da riddle's simple if ya know da landmarks. Dere's a trail not far from da house on da border of Lulia dat take yee straight to da Craigs. Dats da gap in da riddle. Da keepers doe, probably ar da Huntsman dagons. Keep yer ears up. Dey be invisible!"

He rambled on in broken English about how dangerous these, I'm assuming, Huntsman _Dragons_ are, but then the conversation turned.

"Da tik here is mindin' da gap and standin still. Da Craigs be dangerous on deir own, but da stone sprites are de real threat. And if da dagons find yee while de sprites be stalkin 'bout, yee finished! After de Craigs be de tar pits. Walk 'round de tar but straight through de field and de forest 'll thin. There you'll find de Dead lake."

We thanked the two for their hospitality and headed back to our friends. "I hope you were able to understand him." Flora said. "He's taken a few too many trips into the Blind Forest. Insanity and head injuries have made him difficult to understand at times, though he seemed to be doing pretty good today."

"Yeah, I understood. Follow the path to the Craigs, beware of the stone sprites and huntsman dragons, get past the tar pits, and head to the Dead lake." I recited. "I think this is the most specific directions we have ever gotten when searching for a Guardian."

"That's good. And this time, you have a full entourage." She pointed out as we neared the ship. "This should be the easiest one yet."


	21. Linphea's life

Dragonlover- I'm glad you like the premise of the story and I hope you enjoy the rest of it!

 **Flora**

I had never gone into the Blind Forest due to the warnings and stories surrounding it, but I've always wanted to. To explore a place where the vegetation is so thick and filled with natural energy would be an incredible experience. As we stood on the border of Lulia and the forest, I couldn't help but feel giddy with excitement.

"So, this is the trail?" Aisha asked. Before us, there was a small opening in the shrubbery, and the mosses were cut by a small animal trail.

"It's our best shot at getting through the forest easily." As I spoke, I reached out to the trees and plants, attempting to get a feel for the environment.

There was definitely something magical about this place, but the vegetation shied away from my magic's touch. When I pressed further, something forced my powers back into me, and the trees groaned threateningly. Everyone was startled by this, but I knew it was just a warning.

Not wanting to possibly worry them with an explanation, I pushed away some of the shrubs and headed into the forest.

There was an immediate change in temperature and lighting. Barely any sunlight reached through to the forest floor, forcing us to already use our flashlights, and the air around us was humid, yet very cold.

"This place gives me the creeps." Stella complained.

"Yeah, listen," Musa paused for a second, and we all waited in silence for whatever she heard. "Nothing. I can't hear any animals."

"They're probably frightened by us." Bloom offered. "There have only been a few people to ever enter the forest and survive, right? I bet none of them have ever really seen a human before."

Something told me that Bloom's hunch was close, but not entirely right. Casting our my senses again, I could feel that the plants were now more curious, but still defensive. Once again, the trees growled at my intrusion.

We continued onwards for some time, and the thick forest seemed to just get denser and denser. I could tell everyone was beginning to get frustrated with getting tangled in vines, tripping over roots, and occasionally getting hit in the face by a stray branch, but I've never felt more comfortable. The forest had grown used to our presence, and began to reach out and investigate us as well. The trees whispered to each other as they extended their presence in order to better learn about us. They still refused to allow me in though, but I knew my patience would soon pay off.

Suddenly, there was a loud smack, and I shipped around as Nex let out a string of profanities after getting hit in the head by a particularly thick branch. "That's it! I've had it with this place!"

He pulled out his Halberd and prepared to swing at the closest vine. I could feel all the plants around me turn cold with fear. They probably had no idea what a halberd was, but knew he meant them harm.

"No, don't!" I rushed to stop him. Thankfully, his swing was erratic in his anger, causing him to miss the vine, but nick my arm instead.

The cut was long, but not very deep. I hissed in pain and grabbed my arm. It took him a second to realize what he had done, but Nex quickly began a flood of apologies. "Oh, crap, Flora! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to get you!"

Helia was by my side in an instant, investigating the cut. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine guys." I tried to wave it off, but it did sting and was bleeding quite a bit. I quickly tried to turn the conversation. "Nex, I know all this vegetation can be frustrating to wade through, but we mustn't cause any kind of damage to a forest like this. It's already scared enough of us. Causing anything any kind of pain could be a fatal mistake."

He seemed a little shocked by my words, but nodded wordlessly. I allowed Aisha to bandage the cut, and then we continued on our way.

After realizing the danger had past, the forest once again reached out to investigate us. I could sense confusion and surprise, but still nothing would respond to me. It was a strange feeling. Nature, no matter where I went, has never rejected me before.

The moss covered ground soon turned stony and hard, and the shrubbery began to give way. The trees opened up and we found ourselves standing before a great chasm.

"Mind the gap," Tecna quoted.

"That's some gap." Sky whistled. "How do we get across?"

Looking around, I noticed a difference in the color of the stone heading to our left. There was a great pile of stones and rocks that had gathered in the chasm, creating a stable, but difficult looking bridge. "There."

"This is going to suck." Stella whined.

We made our way to the stones and the guys pulled some rope from their packs. Brandon began to tie the rope around his waist, then to Stella. "If we're all linked together with the rope, we'll be able to catch each other if one of us falls."

"Good thinking, guys." Bloom praised. Bloom had been very quiet for most of the hike. I had assumed it was because she had a lot on her mind, but looking at her now… I'm surprised she's still able to stand. Her face was pale and pained, and her legs shivered from just keeping her up straight. I must have given her a look, because she glared at me in return, silently daring me to speak up.

Looking away, I sent out a plea to the Blind Forest. _"Please, reject me all you want, but my friend is suffering in order to help us all. I beg of you, lend her your strength, even for just a moment."_

Silence answered me, but the presence of nature grew closer still. I wouldn't help us, but at least I knew the forest was listening.

Sky and Helia led the way over the rocks, with me just behind them. By this point, everyone had noticed Bloom's decline, but tried to ignore it. Her pride was getting the better of her at the moment, but sooner or later she'd realize she needed help.

We were all about half way across when a new presence appeared in my mind. The presence of the forest immediately retreated in fear, and I froze.

"Uh, is someone whispering?" Musa asked. "Because I hear whispering and it's really freaking me out."

I carefully looked around as the presence grew stronger. The air around us seemed to drop ten degrees, and the whispering sound grew louder. Finally, I realized what was happening.

"It's the stone sprites! Everyone freeze!"

Just as the words left my mouth, the ghostly forms of the sprites morphed out of the stones below us. One by one, the sprites clustered around us, surrounding the rocks like a thick mist. The sprites circled us curiously, their whispers growing louder as they passed my ears.

Linphean stone sprites are terrible creatures. They suck the life out of their prey before turning their bodies into stone. It was surprising to see them in the Blind forest, but after thinking about it, the chasm is a perfect trap for unsuspecting and very unlucky animals.

I could feel my heart pound in my chest as the creatures swirled around me, and for a second, I was afraid they might hear it. Suddenly, there was a rustling among the trees. All of the sprites turned towards it, then vanished back into the stones beneath us.

None of us dared to move for a long time, unsure if the sprites were actually gone or if they were just waiting under our feet for any kind of movement. Only when nature's presence returned around us did I finally relax.

"That was way too close." Brandon sighed. "We've got to get off these rocks."

No one argued, but the rustling in the trees worried me. The sprites had been scared off because of it, but what would they be afraid of?

Once across and away from the crags, I tried to locate where the rustling had come from. The sound had come from in front of us, but I couldn't exactly place it.

"Hey, the trail continues through here." Helia pointed out.

It was then that a terrible cry rang out through the forest. Everyone covered their ears in a vain attempt to block out the horrible sound, but I kept my ears open. The presence of nature turned excited, but in a way I couldn't describe. The whole forest seemed to be on edge, waiting for something to happen, but what?

Maybe it was the fact that the vegetation did not shy away from the sound, but I felt strangely unafraid. The forest cowered away from the sprites, but they seemed to be almost pleased at this sound.

Dread filled my stomach. "Come on. We have to hurry. I don't want to run into whatever made that sound out here."

Taking the lead again, we quickly wormed our way through the thick underbrush. Everyone was very unsettled, and I swore I could hear branches bending above us, as if something heavy was stepping on them. For a while I was unsure if anyone else could hear it too, but every once in a while, there would be a loud creak above us and everyone would jump.

My pulse raced, and the forest's excitement only seemed to grow as we continued. Finally, the trees opened up again, revealing a dark swamp.

The ground was a dull brown covered in sparse mosses and flat stones. Pools of water ranged from a muddy dirt color to solid black. I sighed with relief at how open the area was, and I could tell everyone else also appreciated the open space.

"So, this is the Black Swamp?" Timmy asked.

"It appears so. All we have to do is 'beware the tar', and make it across the swamp, right?" Tecna surveyed the area.

"Hopefully." I cast a glance back at Bloom, who was now leaning heavily on Sky. I was glad to see she had reached out for help, but her conditioned seemed to have worsened. "Let's get moving."

"So, the riddle said something about 'ice cold liquid, black as night', maybe one of these little ponds is it?" Aisha wondered aloud.

"No, it isn't one of these." I made my way to one of the black pools. "That part refers to the Dead Lake. A body of water so cold that if anything touches it, they will freeze to death instantly." Kneeling down, I placed a hand over the black semi-liquid. "The tar's hot. Also, these are just small pools. We're looking for a lake."

I heard a gasp behind me. Quickly, I turned around to see some invisible creature grab Helia, knocking Aisha and Nex down in the process.

"Helia!" I cried. Blood began to bubble from his shoulder, and he shouted in pain.

"Specialists!" Sky handed Bloom off to Stella and called to the other guys, who were already pulling out their weapons.

Thankfully, Helia was stronger than an average man. Prying himself from the creature's grasp, he flung himself to the ground and scrambled to his feet.

"What was it?!" Stella squeaked as I ran to her side.

I turned to Helia, who was readying his weapon and joining the other guys in a defensive formation around us. The blood on his arm was in a tight crescent. Memories of campfire horror stories flooded my mind. "It's a huntsman dragon! They can camouflage themselves!"

"How do we fight something we can't see?!" Timmy asked, then was knocked down by the invisible creature. Nex was nocked down as well, and he cried out as blood welled around his ankle and was dragged away from the group.

Sky lashed out blindly, and a terrible cry was heard. Blood stained Sky's sword and splattered to the ground, so he had at least hit it.

While that was happening, Brandon, who was behind us, shouted in pain as well. Turning away from the outside, I could see deep claw marks that easily split through his chest armor.

"There's two?!" Aisha was fighting back the panic in her voice.

"What do we do?! We can't use our magic here!" Musa's voice trembled as well.

"Dragons, wait!" Bloom called out to the invisible creature. "Please, allow me to speak to you!"

There was a slight lull in the fight, but then Sky was dragged away. Helia responded quickly and managed to keep the prince from disappearing in the underbrush by shooting just above Sky's head.

"This is getting old real fast!" Helia pulled Sky to his feet and they returned to us.

Looking around for some kind of weapon, my eyes landed on the closest tar pit, and I had an idea. There was no time to explain, so I just ran for it. Steady thumping behind me made it very clear that I was being followed.

I could hear everyone cry out my name as my hand plunged into the hot liquid. Whipping around, I flung the glob straight at the creature. The black goo splattered across an invisible surface that was much too close for my liking, but it let out a terrible cry and backed away. I must have gotten some in its eyes or mouth, because the creature freaked out.

Bringing down its camouflage, the Huntsman dragon revealed itself in all of its terrible glory. The dragon was short- well, for a dragon, the top of its head being just below my chin while standing, but he was built perfectly for life in the trees. His black scales had a greenish hue in certain places, and his clawed feet had thumb like fingers to make climbing easier. His body was lean and muscular, and his wings were the perfect size to carry him. His neck was short but flexible, and the top of his tail supported webbed spines that were speckled with lighter greens..

"Great idea, Flora!" While I was admiring the dragon, everyone else had joined me by the tar pool. The girls armed themselves with the sticky black liquid while the guys fought back the dragon they could see.

With this new tool, every time one of us was dragged away, the rest of us flung the tar at the assailant, revealing it to the world and making it easier to fight back.

The guys worked tirelessly to keep the dragons away from us, slashing at the dragon's wings and eyes and trying to scare them away. Looking to Bloom, I could see that she was conflicted. Dragons were technically her people now, but she couldn't stop them from attacking us. She couldn't even get them to listen.

Finally, the two seemed to have had enough. The larger of the two covered the other's escape, before trying to escape as well. Unfortunately, the larger one was the dragon that I hit in the eyes, and it must have clouded his vision as he jumped straight into one of the large pits.

He growled in surprise and annoyance while struggling to get free, but his own weight had done him in. His back was slowly disappearing under the hot tar, and his short neck struggled to keep his head away from the liquid.

"Come on, now's our chance!" Sky grabbed Bloom by the arm and dragged her away. Everyone began to follow, but I just couldn't. Looking back at the dragon, I watched as he struggled to free himself, and called out to the other dragon. I scanned the trees for any sign of his friend, but it was gone.

"Sky, wait! We can't leave him!" Bloom protested.

Helia saw my hesitation and reached for me, but I moved out of his reach. Heading towards the woods where we came from, I grabbed the largest dead branch that I could find and dragged it over to the pit.

"What are you doing?" Brandon groaned. "That thing just tried to kill us!"

"That doesn't mean we should leave him to die." Was all I could say without going off on them. All around me, I could feel the forest panicking. The trees were scared for the creature, and I could kind of understand why.

The Huntsman dragons were the defenders of the Blind Forest. The loss of even one of them could mean that an area could be left unprotected. Even if that weren't the case, though, I would still try to save this creature regardless.

I swung the branch out to the dragon, and he watched me in confusion. "Grab on, we'll help you out."

His vibrant green eyes narrowed suspiciously, so I gave him a reassuring smile. After a moment or two, he carefully grabbed the branch, and I began to pull. He might not be a large dragon, but he was far too heavy for me to pull out alone.

"Flora's right." Bloom said, and she grabbed onto the branch as well. "I won't leave him like this."

We pulled as hard as we could, but it was again no use. Then, one by one, our friends joined us. All of us pulling together still wasn't working well, but at least he was beginning to move.

Using the branch as a sort of lever, he pulled against us and managed to pull one of his legs out of the tar. He returned to allowing us to try and pull him out while also digging away the grime in front of himself to make it easier to escape.

After what seemed like an hour of pulling, the dragon was finally close enough to the edge of the pit to pull himself the rest of the way out. We all fell backwards once his last leg was pulled free, and he let out a relieved groan.

My entire body was exhausted from the effort, and one glance at my friends confirmed that everyone felt the same. There was a loud thud, and turning back, I saw that the dragon had collapsed.

Forgetting my own soreness, I jumped to his side. The dragon's limbs were trembling as he struggled to stand again. His green-black scales were covered in the black liquid, and burned away in some areas where the tar was hotter.

"Hang on, my friend." I soothed, reaching out and placing my hands on the sides of his neck to keep him from rising. "You're hurt."

Tecna inspected the tar pit and pulled out her phone in order to analyze it. "This tar has a high benzene content."

"Which means?" Stella sighed.

"It's toxic." Tecna took off her pack and pulled out an extra shirt. "We have to get it off of him!"

Tecna began using the shirt as a towel and began wiping the sludge off of his tail. Everyone quickly jumped in at this new revelation. My heart ached knowing that I was the cause of this. I was the one to use the tar against them first, throwing a great glob directly in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry." I pulled out my water bottle and rinsed out his eyes, which still had flecks of the black liquid in them. "I didn't know."

Once he was clean, Tecna inspected our hands. "I can't tell if the Benzene on our hands is from cleaning the dragon or from when we threw the tar…" She hurried over to the pit where we fought at and scanned it with her phone. "It seems like not all of the pits have such a high content. We should be fine."

"But what about him?" I asked, cradling his head in my lap. Not long after we began cleaning him, the dragon closed his eyes and began to periodically twitch.

Tecna returned and scanned his body. "…The open wounds from the fight must have made it easier for the compound to get into his blood." She paused for a moment. "He's not going to make it."

"No!" Bloom exclaimed, surprising us all with the strength of her voice. "There has to be something we can do!"

"Maybe the Guardian can save him?" Aisha offered. "I don't know how we could carry him to her though…"

The forest wailed around us. I could feel its desire to save the dragon. With no other feasible options, I tried reaching out again. _"Great forest, your guardian is dying. Please, give me the power to help him!"_

To my delight, the Blind Forest finally answered me. I could feel my powers connect to the life force of the forest, and a strong pulse beat through my body. The surrounding plants began pushing their power into my body, and I could feel their collective desire to heal not only the dragon, but me as well.

Placing a hand on the dragon's head, I guided the energy given to me through his scales and into his blood, purifying the toxins that had built up under his skin. Slowly, I felt his consciousness return, and his head push against my hand in a blind desire for more relief.

In the distance, I sensed my friend's surprise, but I had to focus on him. He was now fully alert simply allowing me to finish the job. I attempted to reach out to him, but he simply watched me, unwilling to meet me half way.

Finally, his healing was complete. I allowed the forest to fill me with its energy, healing the light burns on my hand and the cut on my arm. I whispered my thanks as the presence retreated to a respectful distance.

"Wow." Was all the others could say.

The dragon watched my eyes carefully, and I couldn't help but smile. He was alright. He was going to live.

"Hello," Bloom knelt down beside me and greeted the dragon. "I'm sorry about all of this. My name's Bloom, and this is Flora. What's your name?"

He didn't respond in any way. He didn't even look at her.

"Umm…" Sky interrupted. "We should keep going. He's safe now, and it might just be me but it seems to be getting darker."

"It's not just you, Sky." Timmy showed his phone to the group. "We've been walking pretty much all day. If we don't find the Guardian dragon soon, we'll be spending the night in a hard to defend area."

I turned back to the dragon and mentally crossed my fingers. "Do you know where the Guardian is?"

He was still for a moment, then gave a small nod.

""Can you show us where she is?" I could sense everyone was getting excited.

He got to his feet, gave a catlike stretch, and then sauntered off deeper into the field of pits. We waited in surprise for a moment, unsure of what to do, but when he looked back at us and paused, I knew he wanted us to follow.

The dragon led us through the field and back into the woods. The small trail once again appeared, but the brush was too thick for the dragon to get through, so he had to climb up through the trees and occasionally gave a chirp-like growl to guide us.

The trees began to open up again after just half an hour of walking. The dragon was able to jump down and walk with us, which was comforting to say the least. After hours of walking through the forest, jumping at every sound and trying not to brush up against something poisonous, it was nice to be led by something that knew its way around.

After about another hour or so of walking, the trees gave way to a small opening. In the center of the clearing, was the Dead Lake.

Just looking at the legendary water gave me chills. I had been told many stories as a child about how just a single drop from the cursed lake could kill a basilisk. The dragon even seemed to hesitate at the sight of it, but then continued forwards.

We followed him to the edge of the water and looked into the shadowy liquid. Since the water was black, there was nothing to be seen, but there seemed to be almost like a force pulling me towards the water. Wrapping my arms around myself, I turned away, and accidentally bumped into the dragon.

He cast me a glance really quickly, but otherwise didn't seem to mind.

"Where's Linphea?" Bloom asked him. "The Dead Lake's amazing, but we have to find the guardian."

The dragon watched her closely for a moment, then turned to me. He seemed to be waiting for me to do something. At a loss, I nodded my head.

He blinked for a second, then threw his head back and let out a terrible roar.

His cry echoed through the trees, causing them to shake slightly… No, it wasn't his roar that caused it. The forest behind the lake lifted, dirt and roots crumbling as the trees and ferns changed their textures and shapes.

Linphea was beautiful. The dragon reminded me of a Chinese dragon, with a long body and shorter but strong legs. Her face was gentler though, lacking rough edges or the strange grins that those dragons are normally portrayed with. Her scales fluctuated between different greens, going from a dark lime, to a blue green, and then an emerald. Her long back and neck was covered with long spines, some of which were webbed and others branched like trees. Two large fans which probably gave her the ability to glide rippled at the sides of her back, and her tail coiled elegantly behind her. Her orb, as green as her eyes, glistened on the right side of her chest, just above her heart.

"Dear mother," Her voice was gentle and soothing. "You have finally come."

Bloom stepped forwards, her exhaustion melting away. "I have. You know why I am here?"

"Yes, but we must do so quickly. _She_ approaches."

The hair on the back of my neck stood up. The guys pulled out their weapons again and we scanned the woods. The dragon didn't seem too worried though, which relaxed me slightly.

Suddenly, Linphea and the dragon both directed their attention upwards. He began to snarl as the Guardian took a step backwards. I could vaguely make out a small speck high up in the sky.

I looked to Bloom, and my suspicion was confirmed. Her entire body had gone rigid, and her blue eyes were locked on the sky.

"It's her!" I warned, pointing towards the slowly growing speck.

"Damn it all!" Aisha swore. "She's either a step ahead or meets us to them!"

"What do we do?" Stella cried. "We can't use our magic!"

The guardian let out a great roar, and began to stomp on the ground. I knew in my heart that everything was about to go wrong, but there had to be at least _something_ we could do.

Around us, the Blind Forest came alive with sound. The trees were on fire with energy, willing anyone and anything that could defend their guardian to take it. I could sense that the dragon was greedily taking a share, then looked to me.

Taking the hint, I opened myself to the forest, and allowed the energy to fill every inch of my body. Jumping on the dragon's back, I held on tightly as his large, dark wings opened and beat down hard, launching us into the air.

Below, I could hear my friends calling out my name, but it was far too late to turn back. I was the only one who could possibly hold Kala back and give Bloom the time to get Linphea's orb. All we needed was a little more time.

Linphea seemed to sense my plan as she bent back down towards Bloom. Reaching out, I once again tried to connect to the Huntsman dragon, and this time, he responded. A name reached the tip of my tongue, and I felt honored to at last have his name.

"Let's go, Myrick!"

He roared in response, and I felt the connection between us suddenly deepen. My transformation was fast. The golden band quickly formed around my neck and forest green fabric covered just what it needed to. Emerald green boots and forest green tights covered my legs, and my dragon-like wings were light green and decorated with darker green veins and speckles. Myrick refused his transformation, but I didn't even give it a second thought.

We fast approached Kala, and once we were almost face to face, I readied a spell. Pulling my arms back, I gathered all the power the Forest lent to the two of us, and concentrated it into two spheres.

"Thorny Claws!" I called out, releasing the power at last.

The two orbs blasted into Kala, and I could feel the waves of force radiate back at me. Hope swelled in my chest, then a lash of black magic struck out at us.

 **Bloom**

We watched in horror as Flora and the dragon fell towards the earth. Kala had easily brushed off her attack and struck back with a devastating blow that barely used any effort. None of us could stop their descent. None of us could reach them at all. All we could do was cry out as the dragon wrapped his shredded wings around Flora as they crashed into the Dead Lake.


	22. Battle of Glacial

**Bloom**

Anger roared in my stomach as Flora and the dragon sank into the black depths of the Dead Lake, but as I turned to face Kala, Linphea forced her energy into me.

"Take everything I am, mother. Take the life that I shared with this planet and defend it well!" She pleaded.

Flora's sacrifice had given her the time she needed to gather all of her power and give it to me. Despite the ache in my heart, I opened myself to her dragon orb and power, trying to absorb it as fast as I could.

Her power filled me with energy, and I tried to pull in as much as possible before Kala reached us. I gasped at the sheer amount of energy Linphea held. Sola and Nyemaane warned us all that the guardians increase in power due to the order of their birth. All of the other guardian's powers were tame compared to her, and with her power came memories.

I was back in the star nursery, but as an observer rather than physically there with the guardian. Linphea's thoughts were simply instinctive desires, wanting energy and comfort from her mother. She was not alone with Inferno though. There with her was two unfamiliar, yet familiar dragons. One a blue serpent with long spines and fins, and a short beard of thin tentacles, and the other a red-violet, five headed dragon with short golden spines.

Inferno pulled gaseous clouds and gave her children the energy they all desired. All three young dragons were similar in size, and somehow I knew they were identical in age. Suddenly, I remembered Nyemaane call the last three triplets. They were brought into existence together, but they would be taken out of it one by one.

Then I realized why the red dragon was familiar, but I didn't have the time to dwell on it. The flow of Linphea's energy into me very suddenly began pulling away.

Snapping back to reality, I locked eyes with Kala. She had finally reached the ground, and, with her hands outstretched towards me, was trying to pull Linphea's power and claim it for her own. Just the sight of her sparked a fury in my chest, and a snarl caught in my throat.

She was the reason Flora was dead, but further than that, her presence brought forth a primal rage that I never knew I could have. As she tried to sap the Guardian's power away from me, I raised my hands and fought back. We shared Solaria and Andros' power, she took all of Zenith's, and I took all of Melody's. We were technically equal in the amount of power we gained from the Guardians, and I'd be damned if I just laid down and let her take all of Linphea's as well.

Trying to draw in as much as I could, I imagined the power to be a thick rope, and that we were in a violent game of tug of war. Grasping the imaginary rope of power if my mind, I yanked back, visibly startling Kala.

It was the first time I had seen such an expression on her face. Usually, the same visceral rage in myself was reflected on her face, along with a sickening joy and excitement from either killing a guardian or unsettling me. This new face brought a surprising amount of cruel satisfaction to my chest, and I found the strength to pull harder.

After a moment, Kala seemed to realize what was happening, and began to pull against me. Now the game had really begun. An unnatural feeling of predatory delight filled my chest as she fought against me, and I could tell she felt the same.

My legs trembled with excitement, and my fingers were itching to weave spells to throw at the woman, but I couldn't spare any power from the task at hand. Knowing Kala was in the same position, I no longer felt threatened by her presence. All I wanted to do was fight.

"Bloom, hang on!" Sky's voice rang out.

All this time, my friends had been vocally voicing their fear and anger at Kala, and also encouragement to me, but my mind had drowned out their words. I had to focus on _her_. I had to defeat _her_.

In the corner of my vision, I saw Sky begin to charge Kala, and my inner thoughts turned. _How dare he attack her?_

"Do not lay a finger on her!" My voice was dangerous and unfamiliar, deepened by a guttural snarl that rumbled through my chest and throat.

Sky immediately halted his assault, just ten feet away from the woman. I hadn't the time to focus on his shock. I had to focus on Kala.

The world bled away around us, until all I cared about was defeating the dark hared woman. Slowly, our powers creeped towards each other, both steadily inching forwards to gain more purchase on the Guardian's energy. My power, a dark red encircled the green rope of power while hers, a demonic purple copied my every move.

The rope began to disappear between us, our powers nearly touching as we fought for all or nothing. Neither of us could truly absorb the energy and meld it with our own or else the rope would break and the power we gained would be incomplete.

And that was not acceptable.

Our energies collided suddenly, and my mind threw itself forwards and through my bridge of power, colliding with Kala's head on.

I was launched into blackness, though the forest had already disappeared from my peripheral the moment Kala had arrived. In front of me, Kala had disappeared, and was replaced with a familiar looking dragon.

A long red-violet body with only two forelimbs, two rows of spines arching gracefully from its back. Curved horns and a sharp face. Two long whispers protruded from its upper jaw, and bony plates lined the back of its head. Dull, rainbow hued eyes watched me carefully. They weren't angry, but a black rage surrounded the dragon.

The dragon's clawed hands were locked on the rope, which had turned into Linphea. The now dwarfed Guardian was being strangled by the dragon, while I held tightly onto her tail. All of my rage disappeared at the sight of her.

Without a care in the world, Kala and I were tearing Linphea apart.

My will faltered, and with a roar, the dragon yanked the Guardian from my grasp. It was as if someone had pulled a sword from my stomach. Pain exploded in my head, and my entire body spasmed as every ounce of energy I had taken from her was pulled from my muscles.

Completely out of control of my body, I fell backwards. The void disappeared and the forest returned. With a terrible laugh, Kala opened a portal behind herself and vanished. My fury returned, but I was too weak to move.

That didn't keep me from screaming my rage, though, as Sky and Stella rushed to my side.

 **Stella**

The entire display was terrifying to behold. Both Bloom and Kala were almost unrecognizable in their fury, and the anger that my closest friend threw at her own boyfriend for even daring to come between them was startling to say the least.

Even as Sky reached for her now, completely defeated and flat on her back, the roar she let out was unnerving. While all this was happening, Linphea had been slowly turning to dust, leaving only her soul behind. Unlike the others though, her soul didn't begin to dissipate. Instead, we all- well, minus Bloom who was still completely lost in anger- watched as the green energy dove into the Dead Lake.

Hope sparked in my chest, and Solaria's golden voice spoke in my ear. _"I would like to call your friend rash, but had it not been for her, Mother would have never been able to fight for sister Linphea's powers. I believe her bravery has inspired my sister._ "

"Inspired?"

" _Just watch."_

The black waters lightened as the soul sank beneath the surface, then darkened again as it dove deeper down. The waters stilled, and the others, after some hesitation, turned back to Bloom. I kept my eyes on the water though, and the girls who had Guardians inside of them glanced back at the lake every once in a while as well.

Finally, the entire lake lit up. The water rumbled as a black and dark green shape erupted from the waves. The Huntsman dragon was alive, and on his back sat an awake Flora.

Helia cried out to her in pure joy, but I couldn't hear him over my own sob. The dragon landed close to us and the nature fairy easily slipped off his back.

"But how? You said nothing survives the Dead Lake." Timmy asked after Helia had finally released Flora from a tight hug.

"It was Linphea. She says she was thankful for my assistance, and didn't want Bloom to loose me because of Kala." Flora explained.

After taking some time for everyone to rest, we began the long trek back out of the Blind Forest. With the Huntsman dragon, who Flora said was named Myrick, at the lead, we made great time back to the ship. Bloom was too exhausted to walk, so Sky carried her the entire way.

I attempted to speak to her, but the expression of frustration on her face kept me form really pushing her.

Everyone immediately turned in once we reached Alfea. No one showered, no one ate. We were all just exhausted. We all decided to skip classes the next day in favor of just recovering from the prior day's ordeals. When we finally all came out of our rooms for breakfast, Aisha approached Flora with her golden staff.

"Here, this will help with containing Linphea's soul."

Flora gladly split the staff with her. Linphea's head took shape and the rest of the staff became textured like bark with thin vines tightly wrapping around it. A green stone was set just above the handgrip of the staff. Bloom was sitting quietly back during this, and Flora quietly approached her.

"Aisha said giving you a staff might help you contain the Guardian's powers better, so here, split with me." Flora's voice was low and soothing.

Bloom looked up at her, and we all could tell she hadn't been listening. After explaining again, she took the end of Flora's staff and split it with her.

The new staff formed the dragon I had seen so often emerge from Bloom when she was truly flexing her powers. Flora tried to give her a reassuring smile, but the fire fairy was fully focused on the staff.

After a moment, she stood up and headed for her room. "I'll be back in a little while, and then we'll head to Glacial for the last riddle."

Once she was gone, a terrible dread filled my stomach. I had almost forgotten that there was only one Orb left to find. And once we found Domino and Bloom received his powers, there would be nothing impeding Kala and Bloom from fighting each other.

Once all of the guardian's powers were claimed, the two women would- from what I've seen- fight to the death.

 **Bloom**

Using the key to the Sky palace, I left Alfea through a closet door. All of the dragons seemed to recognize I was in no mood to talk as they all quietly bowed out of my way. I was thankful for that. All I wanted to do was get to Eraklyon as soon as possible.

After reaching the Portal room, I opened a door directly in Eraklyon's Keep and stepped through into the golden room.

The armored dragon did not seem at all surprised to see me, and he offered me an old throne at the back of his keep.

"I sensed what has happened to Linphea. Please do not feel guilty for causing her pain. I would have done the same if it meant giving you a chance to take my power instead of surrendering to her." His voice was flat and very matter-of-factly.

"I know. That's what Flora said. I was just so close… And then I had to fight Kala for her." A lump caught in my throat. "We were tearing her apart."

Eraklyon lowered his massive head down to me, and I placed my hand on the golden armor. "Do you know why I wear this?"

I shook my head. "Long ago, when mother was still alive and I ruled alongside my kings, two stars collided. Stars are the greatest source of power created in this universe, but they can also be the most destructive. Mother knew they were to collide. She had thrown one of the stars off course to keep humans from gaining too much power from it. I did what I had to. I defended my planet, but my scales were burned away."

"That's terrible." Tears welled in my eyes. "How could she not have noticed the star would have caused so much trouble?"

"Because though she created this universe, she is not omnipotent. She is not a God who lords over her creations. She was simple a force of motion. She formed the elements that brought us all to life. Her magic planted the seeds for all magic in this universe. She created things, and for the most part left them be." He let out a great sigh.

"Of course she mourned my suffering, but I was happy to have defended the world she entrusted to me. When she died, I wanted to manage my world well, but as I grew older, I knew I must let go. I needed to allow my people the freedoms she allowed us, only stepping in when things were dire."

"But then what am I supposed to do? Allow the last of the Guardians to die? I know she's after Domino, Sola and Nyemaane, and she could also come after you again as well. I just can't let that happen!"

"Then this is your motion. Do not worry about me, though. I am almost a child compared to my eldest siblings. I shall live on without my powers for many years to come. Unlike my siblings who first only believed their Orbs were enough, I gave you all of me. Everything Kala could have stolen is within you."

A small part of me felt relieved. "But what should I do? I keep losing myself around Kala, and I know in my gut that we're going to face each other again soon."

"Mother did what she thought was best." Eraklyon raised his head. "Unlike Mother, you are filled with light, just as Kala is filled with darkness. Once both of you are ready, you two shall face each other, and I know the both of you shall be changed forever. Will the change be good or bad? Only you can decide. Just know that your actions are your own. Do what you know if your heart to be right, and you shall triumph in the end."

I left the Guardian's keep feeling only slightly better. Eraklyon was safe, but the final three guardians weren't. But only I could save them from Kala. If I wanted to save all three, I had to hurry.

After returning to Alfea to gather my friends, we headed back to the Sky Palace's portal room to visit Glacial for the last riddle.

Once I stepped a single foot though the threshold of Sola and Nyemaane's home, I knew something wasn't right.

The ceiling exploded above us, with ice and melted stones raining down on our heads. The dragons leapt to defend their partners and the guys defended themselves with their shields, but all I could focus on was the black dragon above us.

Keket let out a terrible cry as hundreds of Kala's men jumped into the temple from above.

My friends immediately transformed, and when I tried to follow suit, I found my body was too tired to call up any spell, let alone transform.

"Bloom, find Sola and Nyemaane!" Aisha cried as she mounted Chenoa. "Get the riddle and the Guardians to safety!"

Nyemaane had foretold this event, but Kala wouldn't get the twins without a fight. The battle for the Twins of Time had begun.


	23. Sooleawa

**I'm afraid the next chapter won't be out when it's supposed to be. I'm heading out on a two week vacation as soon as this chapter is posted and as soon as I get back, my first year of college begins. Don't worry though. The end is near and I can't wait to hear what you guys have to say once the dust has settled.**

* * *

 **Aisha**

"Magic winx, _Dragonix_!" The girls echoed me as we transformed. The guys pulled out their weapons and our dragons readied themselves for the fight ahead.

"Bloom, find Sola and Nyemaane!" I shout to the redhead as the massive black dragon lowered its head into the temple. "Get the riddle and the Guardians to safety!"

She looked like she wanted to argue, but with an exasperated noise, she turned and fled into the ice tunnels. It was the first feeling of relief I had felt towards her since this whole thing began.

Chenoa reared back on her hind legs and let out a battle cry worthy of a dragon ten times her size. One by one, the other dragons joined in the challenge, flaring their wings or arching their backs in a threatening display.

"We'll go after the dragon, can you guys handle the goons?" Sky nodded at me, and Chenoa took off.

Bloom had told us of the black dragon in her dream. Keket, the creature that could see what Bloom saw by looking into Kala's eyes. She told us about how big she was, but I truly underestimated how big the dragon was.

She dwarfed every dragon I had seen before, except for Andros. Her wings spread threateningly, casting the tunnels into shadow and stopping the never ending hail and snow from reaching anyone shielded by the leathery appendages.

Cracking open her mouth, she revealed razor like ivory teeth and let out a growl that shook my chest.

Underneath me, I felt Chenoa gather a breath, readying her salt blast to begin the fight. I didn't have to glance behind us to know the other dragons were readying their own attacks as well. Without water, I knew her attack would be as effective, so I readied a spell.

"Dragon's Brine!" I called out the first spell that came to my head just as Chenoa unleashed a blob of molten salt. The two attacks met just before connecting with the black dragon, creating a loud explosion that made her flinch and jerk her head away.

With an annoyed shriek, Keket took in a deep breath, and the air around us seemed to heat up. Sensing danger, the dragons scattered, flying high and away from the dragon's gaping mouth.

In a sharp exhale, yellow-white fire erupted from Keket's jaws. The air hissed at the sudden temperature change, creating a mist of the melted ice and snow the fire came in contact with.

"Star barrage!" I heard Stella call. Thousands of bright sparks hailed down on the dragon from somewhere above her. Keket shook slightly, easily knocking off most of the sparks before turning to try and bite at Stella and Alake.

"Thunder clap!" Musa's soundwave attack knocked into the dragon's head, taking her attention back off of Stella. She might be a hundred times larger than any of us, but we were definitely faster.

With a snort of annoyance, Keket puffed out her wings before sending them both smashing down on the ice. With that single savage beat, she was easily balancing on her hind legs, freeing up her forelimbs to slash at us.

Flora flew past me and called out. "Distract her!"

Nodding, I gave Chenoa's neck a solid pat and we gilded closer to the back of the dragon's head. "Artic waves!"

The attack was supposed to be a stun spell, but it only made Keket turn her attention towards me. Flora and Myrik sailed directly past her face while she was distracted, and flora landed a strong spell. "Poison breath!"

Stella and Alake took a chance and crashed down on Keket's back. Alake sank his venomous fangs into the dragon's wing joint, causing her to snarl with annoyance. Keket reached around to try and grab the two with her long claws, but Tecna and Tufan were quicker. "Dragon's Ray!"

Keket jerked her claw back and began furiously beating her wings, shaking Alake from her shoulders.

Pharoah dragon venom was supposed to be one of the most deadly poisons in the world, but it hardly seemed to effect Keket. If I had to guess, it was because of her size and size alone. It would take a lot of poison to take her down.

We continued the barrage for what seemed like ages, but the dragon was just too big to cause some serious damage to. Thankfully, she was also too big to land a focused attack on any of us. Her fire easily burned away all the ice and snow around us, covering out battlefield in a thick mist, but it was an easy attack to dodge or defend from.

"We're not doing anything!" Musa and Ruana came up behind us. "This dragon has to have some kind of weak point!"

"Tufan says the dragon is an Obsidian Nightwing!" Tecna called from somewhere close by, but I was unable to see her and her partner through the mist. "They were hunted to extinction on Domino hundreds of years ago. He says the only way to defeat one is to destroy its heart or pit one up against another Nightwing!"

"Well, we don't have another Nightwing, so how do we go after her heart?" I called back.

"You let it swallow you and pray she doesn't use her fire breath." Tecna answered.

"I'm just gonna go ahead and say it now," Stella shouted. "I'm _not_ doing it!"

"None of us are!" I was sure to shout as loud as I could in case the others could hear the entire conversation. "It's too dangerous. We can handle this! Come on!"

Chenoa dropped down close to the dragon's chest. Knowing that her heart was her only weak point, I focused my attack just above it. "Liquify!"

Keket shrieked in annoyance as the hot morphix liquid ate away at her scales, revealing the thick skin underneath. She tried to bring her claws down on my head, but Flora stopped her.

"Nettle barrage!" Scores of tiny thornlike energy bolts cascaded down on the dragon's face and into her eyes.

She howled in pain this time as her eyelids screwed shut and her tail cracked like a whip.

"Okay, now we're getting somewhere!" I cheered. "Focus on her eyes and chest!"

The dragons roared in response as the other girls readied spells. Even if we have found two weak points, this was going to be a long fight.

 **Sky**

I slammed the hilt of my sword into one of the soldier's noses, but didn't have the time to make sure he was completely down as two other goons jumped him from behind.

"Head's up!" Helia lassoed one dude and flung him at me. With only seconds to react, I dropped to my knees and let the one crash into the men behind me.

"Thanks, Helia!" I called to him before blocking the blade of another soldier.

More and more men poured through the gaping hole in the ceiling caused by the massive black dragon. Mist draped the temple halls as Keket attempted to blast the girls with her fiery breath.

We fought back soldier after soldier as Timmy and Nex did their best to block off the tunnel Bloom fled down. She had a connection to Sola and Nyemaane, so she was the key they needed to find the guardians.

And he was going to put up a fight if it meant keeping her safe for just a few more minutes.

 **Bloom**

It took me all of ten minutes to find the twin guardians. Once again, they sat before the frozen wall revealing the silver dragon from my dreams. The two were coiled around each other, peacefully sleeping as their temple was under attack.

"Sola, Nyemaane!" I couldn't keep the relief from my voice as I ran to them.

Both lifted their heads as one, but didn't seen as excited to see me as usual. I threw my arms around their necks and they nuzzled my back as I held them close.

"What are you two doing here? Why aren't you going to defend your temple?"

"Mother, our temple is doomed." Nyemaane stated simply. "Just as we are."

Horror gripped my stomach. "No! We saved the souls of _every_ guardian so far, we can safe you two as well!"

"You saved their souls, but only for a while." Sola nuzzled my cheek. "Their bodies are gone. Their individual powers are gone. All that's left is their souls, but they shall fade once your friend's times come."

"But Kala isn't here!" My voice broke at the sorrow in their eyes. "I know that for a fact! She can't absorb your powers, so we have time!"

"We have nothing to give her, mother." Nyemaane lowered her head to my lap. "She has sent Keket to kill us."

"Why?!"

"To anger you." Sola replied calmly. "Nyemaane has seen the future. We will not survive this day. If you and your friends do not leave immediately, they shall all be killed by Keket. Then she shall kill us as well."

"But you're guardians… You two are stronger than her!" I pleaded. "Please, don't just give up!"

"Mother, the only way out of this is for us to die." Nyemaane locked eyes with her. "But I refuse to die by Keket's claws."

"Then why-" Sola pushed her nose into my stomach, causing me to fall backwards.

"You must take our souls."

I couldn't speak. I couldn't think. I could barely even process what she said. Turning to Nyemaane, she had the same cool confidence as her sister.

"Sola is right. It is the only way to keep Keket from killing us. I told you. We shall not survive this day. No matter what happens."

"I- I can't… No, I won't! I'm not going to kill you two!"

"You don't have to kill us." Sola quickly reassured me. "You just have to accept our souls and absorb them. Keket will sense that we have passed and your friends will be safe."

"But- but…" I couldn't choke out the words. I couldn't let this happen.

The two carefully stood and coiled themselves around me, wrapping their heads back around so they could rest comfortably in my lap. Small drops of water dripped onto their scales, and as I wiped them off, even more took their place.

"Please don't cry for us, mother." Sola whispered. "We shall meet again."

I begged them for what seemed like an eternity to not do this. They simply laid there, with their heads in my lap and my hands tangled in the soft hair at the backs of their necks. My sobs echoed through the icy tunnels, but part of me knew nothing would change their minds.

They sat with me for what felt like hours. Listening to my pleas and readying themselves for their final goodbye.

Finally, Nyemaane lifted her head. Taking a deep breath, she blasted all the tunnels but the one I came from with ice. Sola lifted her head and joined in. Her hot breath warped and melted the ice while Nyemaane's added new crystals. They worked until all but the one tunnel was completely sealed.

Once they stopped, they turned to me. It was then that I realized a fine mist had gathered in the cave, and from the now lone tunnel entrance, I could hear the faint sound of boots and shouts growing closer.

"It is time, mother. Please forgive us." I broke again at Nyemaane's words.

I pulled their heads close to me as they took their last breath. Their smooth scales evaporated under my touch, and I clenched my eyes shut. Reaching out blindly, I felt where the two souls had gathered, and forced myself to pull them in.

My stomach rolled as I felt their sorrow and my legs gave out from under me. Nyemaane's last act as an individual was to show me the future she saw if they hadn't given up there.

My every muscle screamed as I watched Keket wear out my friends and their dragons before eviscerating them with a single breath. Mercilessly, she turned her claws on Sky and the other guys, gleefully ripping them out of this world along with any other soldier who failed to get out of the way.

Then I saw her smash her way down to Sola and Nyemaane. We had retreated down farther in the tunnels, but her mission would not go unfulfilled. Keket followed us down, blasting the icy tunnels to mist.

She catches Nyemaane first, easily breaking the slender dragon's back with her powerful claws. Sola lunges at her, screeching in fury at the death of her sister. With a snap of her great jaws, Keket took the golden haired dragon out of this world as well.

The vision ended before I could see what I did, but I knew exactly what I would have done. Keket killed them in my vision, and she was the reason they were dead now. Unlike the other guardians, who could reach out to my friends and fill them with energy, Sola and Nyemaane's souls were dormant and unresponsive. Floating quietly and feeling like rocks in my stomach.

 _She killed my daughters._ A savage voice broke through my despair.

I might not have given birth to them, but the two loved me like I was their mother. Unconditional adoration and love always shone in their eyes whenever they saw me. And though I never admitted it- or could really describe it, I loved them without even knowing it.

Fury erupted in my entire being as I knew the void they caused would never be filled again.

 _End this fight._ The voice spoke again. The resonance of its anger shook in my chest.

Looking through the ice wall, I saw the silver dragon, and I knew what had to be done.

" _Dragonix."_ The name hissed off of my tongue as the transformation began.

The golden ring formed around my neck and red fabric covered just what it needed to. My boots were a dark wine red, and dragonscale tights covered my legs. My wings were shaped like my friends and a light blue, though red flames decorated them along with the shape of a dragon on each wing.

Reaching out, I touched the ice. It cracked underneath my fingers. Reaching out with my powers, I filled the silver dragon with energy.

It responded slowly at first, then drank in every drop of power I offered it, allowing me to fuel itself while also gathering its own strength.

"It has been a long time, Bloom." The ice cracked even more as she spoke to me.

A name came to mind. "You know what to do, Sooleawa."

The ice wall exploded around me as she stretched her four wings out. "Your wish is my command, Inferno, but you must speak your orders."

"Avenge them."


	24. Guardian of Domino

Guest- I'm glad the story's picking up as well. I can't exactly say anything about Sola and Nyemaane's souls as that… might go into spoiler territory? Hmm. Let's just say the fates of the twins of time might surprise you. Also, the silver dragon is the dragon from Bloom's dreams in Dragon Soul part one. If you're referring to the tale about the silver lady of the lake, no, she isn't part of that.

Guest- dang. You guys ask good questions. Again, this one goes into spoiler territory so I can't really say right now. But they do have an important part to play soon.

WinxClubBloom6- Glad you like the story so far and I hope you continue to enjoy it!

* * *

 **Musa**

We knew our attacks were doing something. Every once in a while, we would hit a sensitive spot and the black dragon would cry out in pain… and annoyance. It was as if we were nothing but ants who would bite at her feet. Painful, irritating, but nowhere near strong enough to do actual damage.

Ruana hovered close to me, obviously tired from ducking and dodging Keket's attacks. Her eyes were alight with terror, but she still stayed by my side this entire time anyways. Running my fingers through her mane as we kept back, watching for an opening, I quietly spoke to her. "Maybe we can use more sound attacks to confuse her? Then the others can go after that spot at the base of her spine."

She twisted closer to me. "I understand now why only another Obsidian Nightwing could face her. It seems like we've been fighting for ages, but I know it's only been a short time. Her scales are too thick and tough. We would only be effective going after her heart, like Tecna said."

She trembled under my touch, and I knew what she was thinking. "Ru, you may be the smallest of all the other dragons, but trying to go down that fire breather's throat is pure suicide." My grip in her mane tightened, afraid she might run off and go ahead with this foolish idea. "Aisha's spell liquefy warped some of the scales on her chest, maybe if we keep hitting that place, it will weaken enough to do some real damage."

She hummed, then shook her long neck gently. "Then let's distr-"

Ruana's head snapped to the side, ears pinned and eyes wide. It was obvious that she had heard something, so after a glance back at the battle and seeing Keket thoroughly focused on the others, I listened for whatever my partner had heard.

It was a small sound, but growing in intensity and speed at an alarming rate. It seemed to be coming from deep below the ground. Casting a worried glance down at the guys, I finally noticed that all fighting on the ground had stopped. Everyone was standing completely still, staring in both confusion and worry behind them. There were noticeably less enemy fighters on the ground, but no bodies so I had to assume some had made it down the tunnel after Bloom.

Even more anxiety creeped up my throat as the sound now grew audible to everyone in the sky. Keket was the first to notice, and her gaze locked onto the ice about half a mile away from the tunnel, exactly where Ruana was staring.

A loud crash was heard, accompanied by the shattering of ice and rumbles that were reminiscent of an avalanche. The air around us seemed to grow colder, and Ruana shivered under my touch.

Suddenly the ground split open. Ice blocks the size of glaciers crumbled and were shoved up by an impressive rack of antlers. The dragon that sported them was a sight to behold.

She was a beautiful silver color, and her smooth scales sparkled in the light as ice danced around her. Her mane was cotton white, beginning between her pale antlers and ending at her shoulder blades. Two sets of wings beat strong, sending the loose ice and snow she had disturbed flying around her.

She wasn't as tall as Keket, but she was much denser. The black dragon was scrawny to say the least. Her long body thin and streamlined for speed and her limbs long and lanky instead of muscular. Everything sacrificed though in muscle was more than likely made to increase speed. This silver dragon, however, was much more stout. Her limbs might not have been as long as Keket's, but were three times as muscular. Her neck and chest were also strongly built, probably for butting heads like deer or bulls with her own kind, and her strong tail was divided into three near the end and each cracked like whips.

The silver dragon's blue eyes locked onto Keket's red. Her huge chest expanded, and her pale jaw's cracked open to reveal a row of long ivory teeth. She released a great challenge. Her bellow was low and thunderous but powerful none the less.

Keket returned the battle cry with her own shrilled roar and flared her massive wings. The silver dragon copied the black one and let out a low warning that made the air tremble.

The two dragons watched each other quietly for a while, then both surged towards each other. Ruana collided with me, her thin forearms wrapping tightly around my waste and tearing me away from the two titan's paths. All of the people on the ground immediately ran for the closest ice tunnel and I prayed the ice was thick enough to keep the guys safe from the battle.

The other girls were also dragged away from the black and silver dragons, and Ruana pulled me towards them.

"What the hell is that?" Stella cried over Alake's shoulder.

"I have no idea!" Tecna called back as she whipped out her phone. Tufan whined and nudged her side. Tecna's fingers flew across the device, then paused. She gave her partner a shocked glance, then turned back to us. "Tufan says that the dragon is a Silver Guardian! One of the last surviving legends of Glacial was a warning. A warning about silver giants that wandered the icy wastelands and encased any intruders under miles of ice."

"Fire and ice," Aisha whispered. "This sounds familiar."

The two collided with a devastating amount of power. Based on just how the two dragons were built, Keket was immediately pushed back. That didn't stop the silver dragon though. Still powering forwards, the dragon hooked Keket's thin leg into her horns and tossed her head up before pushing forwards again. The antlers easily gored into Keket's belly and chest, pulling a true scream of agony from the black dragon.

I couldn't help but cheer along with the rest of the girls as Keket immediately backed away, still hissing in pain.

Suddenly, a glowing form caught my eye. Turning back towards the cavernous hole the silver dragon had come from, I was _very_ surprised to see Bloom flying towards the two behemoths with her own set of dragonix wings.

"Keket, Sola and Nyemaane are gone! Returned to my flame and you shall follow if you dare stay!" The silver dragon echoed Bloom's challenge with another savage snarl.

Thankfully, the black dragon seemed to listen. After a long moment, Keket nodded slowly, then turned. With a single beat with her massive wings, Keket had launched herself into the air and disappeared in the haze of white clouds and snow.

Bloom landed on the silver dragon's head, then seemed to collapse against her antlers. Worried it was due to exhaustion again, we all rushed forwards, only to find sobs wracking our friend's body.

 **Bloom**

I sat with Sooleawa and watched the sun rise over Domino's white tipped mountains. She was much larger in real life than in my dreams, so thankfully she had the ability to open portals or else she never would have been able to leave Glacial.

"I am sorry I could not awaken sooner." Sooleawa said, her silky voice did wonders to sooth my heart, but it could never cover the hole that constantly threatened to grow larger. "Your rage focused all the power you had collected, finally stirring me from my slumber."

"It's not your fault." My throat constricted painfully. "It was bound to happen at some point. Kala wants all of the guardians. She would have come for their power eventually. I- I just wish I had more time…"

Tears spilled down my cheeks again, and Sooleawa bent her great head to comfort me. I leaned against her velvety muzzle and sighed. I could still feel the two dormant souls in my belly, silently sleeping or completely dead and gone. I couldn't tell. I had never housed more souls than my own before. It was strange.

"I can tell you only have one last orb to collect." Sooleawa raised her head again and gave a long yawn. "She will come for you soon. Whether she gets the last orb or not."

"I know." A spark of anger entered my mind, and lit all of my sadness like dry straw. "I'll be ready. Especially with you by my side."

"We must first find Guardian Domino. Do you know where he might be?"

"Oh, I know exactly where he is."

Sooleawa took in my words for a moment. "She approaches."

"I know." Standing, I stretched and began walking back to the palace. I paused for a moment. "Be ready when the time comes."

"Do not fret, my dear Bloom. I was made to be by your side. I shall accompany you in death if I have to."

And with that, I continued onwards. Today was the anniversary of Domino's revival. The irony was disgusting to say the least. This was the very day the planet was reborn, and also would be that day its guardian and namesake would die.

I met my friends, their dragons, and Sky at the main threshold.

"So, you did the twins…" Aisha trailed off. "Did they manage to tell you before…"

"No, but at least part of their powers transferred to me." I took a breath "

 _Five will be found, but only one is around_

 _Down in the flames, a vortex will rise_

 _To bring destruction, and forge new life_

 _Oldest brother, yet new to the mother_

 _Forge's fire burns bright in disguise, as new and old lives collide_

I know exactly where and what Domino is."

The group paused for a moment, then Sky gave a soft gasp. " _Down in the flames, a vortex will rise?_ Is the riddle talking about the Vortex of Flames?"

"Hit the nail on the head." I gave him the best smile that I could muster, but it was pretty pathetic. Everyone followed me as I headed towards the far left hall. "This is one nobody can follow me into. The vortex was meant to test the dragon fire, I'm worried you guys might not be able to handle it."

"Hey, you gave us a piece of your flame a while ago, remember?" Stella tsked. I cast her a warning glance, daring her to argue with me. She suddenly had a distant look in her eye, and I guessed Solaria was speaking to her. "But you've done this before. That's the only reason why I'll let this slide. I can't speak for everyone else though."

Everyone else also looked as if they wanted to say something, but no one did. Words couldn't begin to describe how relieved the silence made me. We reached the Vortex quickly and they all followed me up to the edge of the pit. Looking down into the familiar flames, I knew I was where I needed to be.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed away the waves of exhaustion threatening to drag me into another indefinitely long sleep. One step and my toes were past the ledge, and another sent me sailing off into the fiery abyss.

The intense warmth was comforting. It surrounded me like water, but viciously tugged at my skin. Amusement rose in my chest as it tried to tear me apart piece by piece, but fire could never hurt me. No matter how hard it tried.

"Gentle mother." Five voices spoke as one. "It grieves me to see you in such a state."

From the flames rose the familiar guardian of the Vortex, no, Guardian of Domino. It was a very clever disguise. Generation after generation of Flame wielders would face the five headed dragon, first child created by the source of their power.

"Domino, it's so good to truly meet you." I reached out to him, and his center head reached out to me. "I had no clue before…"

"Just as you had no idea that I had already given you my power." My hand brushed against his muzzle, and I flinched at his words. "Yes. Those who pass the test of the Vortex receive part of the Orb of Forge. When you came though, I knew the time had come. Every part of my orb was given to you, but your fire was in such a weakened state that you hadn't noticed."

Some deep part of myself was relieved that I really had nothing to worry about to begin with when finding this orb, but just the orb wasn't enough anymore. Kala would hunt down Domino and steal the rest of his powers, killing him in the process. If I asked for his power, I would be killing him myself.

"Fret not, dear mother." His voice echoed through the fiery pit, breaking me out of my thoughts. "I am bound to the vortex. I have fed it with my own flame for millennia. I shall live for many years even though my internal flame is gone. Perhaps I shall reabsorb the fires after, and roam my world one last time before my own return to the flame? Hmm, perhaps."

All five sets of golden eyes closed as he mused what the future held for him. Hope rose in my chest. _He won't die after giving me his fire?_ A thought hit me. "Wait, why did the others not store some of their own powers away as well? They all acted like they knew it was coming!"

"My siblings are not as attached to life as I." The five heads shook with a sigh. "Also, it takes quite a bit of power to defend our planets from danger. For some time, mother helped us, but while the others simply melded their powers with hers to ensure years of peace, I sacrificed some prosperity to store away power in the Vortex."

A wave of sorrow and guilt echoed through my mind. Without even speaking, I knew what he was thinking of. "Domino, if it weren't for the ancestral witches, I might not be the person I am now. Sometimes we all need a little hardship to ensure happiness in the future."

"My greed nearly cost you your life." He opened his eyes again. "Forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive."

Suddenly, there was a tightness in my belly, and I sensed a presence growing closer. "It is time, mother. Once again, the final battle falls upon your shoulders."

Neither of us spoke again as he channeled the rest of his power into me. I felt his soul start to waver slightly, but he held firm until the last of his energy was gone. Once he was completely empty of power, I severed the connection between us so once he began reabsorbing the flames of the Vortex, I wouldn't accidentally siphon any as well.

The flames around us responded quickly, surrounding Domino and disappearing under his armored skin. "Go now, dear mother, I must rest. Despite what draws near, I know we shall see each other soon."

 **Flora**

We all exchanged worried glances as the fires of the Vortex of Flames began to lower and slowly die out.

" _Fret not,"_ Linphea's voice echoed in my ears. _"The flames respond to brother Domino. She has succeeded in her mission."_

Looking at the other girls, I watched them visibly relax as well, and assumed the other guardians told them the same. Part of me was still getting eaten away by my own anxiety though. Bloom was exhausted after gaining so much power. Even I felt more weight on my chest just holding Linphea's soul, but Bloom had several orbs within her, along with the inborn power of a few of the guardians.

How she was still on her feet at this point was beyond any of us. Eventually, the last flecks of light deep within the pit went out, and we all knew it was done. After a few moments, Bloom finally rose out of the darkness.

"Domino has given me his orb and born powers. Our mission is complete." She announced.

No one cheered. The distant look in Bloom's eyes sucked all of the happiness of the revelation out of the room. I placed my hand against Myrick's sturdy neck. It was reassuring to have him close during such a time.

"So, now what?" Brandon asked.

Everyone was silent for a moment. We all turned to Bloom. She put on a brave face and smiled. "For now, we celebrate. Everything else can come later."

The party started only an hour later. Oritel and Marion gave their speeches, Daphne, Bloom, and now Thoren proudly stood with the rulers as Sky was called upon to recount his part in the revival of Domino. The celebration began with the royal couples dancing, and after the first song ended, everyone else was invited to join the festivities.

Bloom retired from the dance floor early in order to stand with King Terran, who was personally invited to join the celebration, and also was the only dragon ruler besides Bloom who could fit through the door.

I danced with Helia for some time, then joined Aisha and Musa at the drink table before greeting our dragon partners who sat quietly close to Terran.

"So, what do you think, Myrick?" I scratched at his throat and he let out a soft rumble, but refused to visually show his enjoyment. He wasn't able to speak, nor could he send numbers to my head. All I could do was rely on my own instinct and his nonverbal cues… well, the bond between us helped a lot as well.

Everything had quieted down to soft chatter as the dancing slowed. The other girls had joined their dragons and one by one, the guys joined us as well. Part of me felt bad for Bloom. Just one of Sooleawa's eyes was larger than Bloom herself, there was no possibility of her joining the festivities, and it would be really startling if the great silver dragon looked through one of the windows.

Stella was recounting some terrible shopping story when I exchanged a silent sigh with Bloom. Suddenly, her head snapped to the front gates. Far away, I could hear the thunderous cry of Sooleawa… and the shrill cry of Keket.

The doors were nearly broken down as a woman in a black dress threw them open. Argus and Aaron stood slightly behind her.

Panic gripped my chest as Bloom stepped forwards.

"Kala, welcome to Domino." Her words were hissed and dangerous. "I'm afraid this world's guardian has already been claimed."

The violet eyed woman didn't respond. All around us royal guards ran to contain the three, but the dark presence held them back. Argus finally spoke up.

"Bloom, the time has finally come!" He pointed directly at her, and Sky protectively stepped in between the two. "All of the orbs have been claimed, and now the final battle is here! We challenge you to a duel. Winner takes all!"

"No way!" Aisha barked, and Chenoa raised her wings dangerously. "If you want the orbs you have to face all of us!"

Without a word, Bloom pushed past Sky and placed a hand on Aisha's arm. Then she continued forwards until she was face to face with Kala.

"Meet me at the silver mointains, and we shall finish this." Her voice had turned calm, almost frighteningly so.

In a flash of violet flames, Kala vanished. Golden fire began to envelop Bloom, and with one look back at us, she nodded, then vanished as well."


	25. Guardian of the Dragon Flame

**WinxClubBloom6-** I'm glad you enjoyed it and I hope you enjoy this one as well!

 **Guest** \- There are two dragons that frequent Bloom's dreams in the first part, Sooleawa, the silver dragon that would meet and speak to Bloom, and then there was Frozen Gale, the wyvern that took in Bloom when she teleported herself to Glacial as a child. Gale was the one with the eggs, which hatched years before Bloom found her again. As for the Silver Lake story, it will come into play soon, but I don't want to accidentally say too much. All I can say is Kala isn't related to the story.

 **Sooleawa**

I sensed Bloom's presence fade into the distance quite suddenly, and I knew the final battle had begun. Keket sensed it as well, and as one, we quickly beat our wings and took off. I could hear startled cries and shrieks from below as the Palace of Domino was invaded by armored men, but they were not my priority. For now, I needed to be by Bloom's side. I needed to be there when her true powers awoke.

 **Bloom**

The silver mountains were just as beautiful as their name. Always covered in snow, they rose high above the horizon, with their very tips disappearing into the clouds. While teleporting to them, I transformed and allowed the power I had collected from all the Guardians course through my body like a torrent. It filled my body with fire and strength, revitalizing my muscles and feeding my dragonfire.

Before me, Kala also was allowing her powers to run rampant inside of herself, mentally preparing for the fight ahead. There were no barriers between us now. No one close to intervene. Just her and me. No one to judge our battle, or how the two of us were going to tear each other apart.

Ever since the first time I felt her presence, I knew she was something to be feared when I was weak, and something to kill when I was stronger. The deep hatred I felt for her was somewhat familiar. Similar, but still very different to how I instinctively felt about Valtor.

Valtor was no threat at first. I hardly even recognized his dragonfire until much later on, but after sensing how dark his flame had become, I had an insatiable desire to destroy him. A feeling that went much farther than rage. A need far greater than my need for revenge, though I hadn't realized it at the time. He was a threat. His blood red flame needed to be destroyed.

When I did destroy his fire, I allowed it to fully extinguish. Though he had originally come from my flame, I had no need for his dark desires.

Though my anger and desires towards Kala were similar, they were a hundred times stronger than any emotion I had felt towards Valtor. My need for her death wasn't a desire. It was a fact. I will not allow her black fire to exist in this world with me.

It is too similar to my own flame. Too dangerous to be loose. I needed to either destroy it or seal it away forever.

Our powers began flowing outside of our bodies, whipping up the snow and crackling like lightning.

Fire built into my chest, and I knew the time had come.

Opening my mouth, I called out the first spell. "Dragon's breath!"

Flames erupted from my jaws. Kala responded by raising a single hand. The flood of fire parted like a red sea.

The battle had begun.

A terrible roar ripped through my throat, shaking even the air around us. Kala echoed my cry, matching her volume and power to my own.

We lunged forwards as one, the ground cracking under our feet with every step. Collecting power in my right fist, I threw out a devastating punch. Kala did the same, and our knuckles collided with a terrible power.

Our powers collided, dark fire and light. Neither quite able to get head of the other. With a snarl, I struck out with my other fist, aiming at her jaw. She blocked the blow, throwing back my left hand and gathering a spell to strike again.

Stepping to the side, I easily evaded the blow and pulled power into my leg. I landed a savage kick to her side, but she did not fall. She roared and released her own fiery breath. My wings took initiative, carrying me away from the inferno.

She quickly followed. Kala had no wings, but I bet even I didn't need dragonix to fly with this much power.

Sticking my arms out straight at my sides, I spun wildly. "Fire tornado!"

Just as her fire clawed hands were about to come into contact with my center, flames engulfed my body. Kala struggled wildly to escape the vortex while I easily ducked away from its center. Eventually, she let out a terrible cry and dark violet flames infected my spell.

They spread like a disease, quickly turning all my magic into her own. Fury crawled up my throat at the display. Kala grinned menacingly at my anger as her fingertips lit. With a snap and a wave of an arm, ten orbs of fire quickly circled her.

Sensing danger, I readied a defense spell.

Rushing at me again, Kala pulled all of the spheres of black fire before her, sending them one by one at my head.

"Dragon Scales!" A shield of fire engulfed my body, forming around me like a dragon's hide.

Crossing my arms before me, I blocked each blast. As the last few were coming at me, I sensed that something far worse was next. Lowering my arms slightly, I saw Kala closely following the last orb, and I knew exactly what to do.

As the second to last orb made contact, power flowed to my fingers. The last one hit, and I struck out, throwing my hands forwards and clawing at Kala just before she could get too close.

"Fire claws!" The talons of flame left my fingertips and whirled at my opponent, forcing her to stop dead in her tracks and block the blow.

The spell knocked her back, and I jumped away as well, putting some more distance between us to look for a good opening. She didn't give me much time though, as she quickly recovered and followed me into the air.

With a terrible growl, she launched blasted a great beam of fire towards me. I forced my wings to stop, dropping like a stone away from the attack. Kala met me at the ground, fingers curled like claws as she tried to grab me.

My wings transformed and I knocked her back with the extra appendages. With a single beat, I was once again in the air. I threw another Dragon's breath spell at her as she shook off the blow. Red orange flames engulfed her.

In the distance, I heard a noise. With Kala distracted by her burning clothes, I turned to see Keket soaring towards us. Obsidian Nightwings were born for speed, so I wasn't too surprised to see she had caught up so quickly. Unfortunately, Sooleawa was much slower, and I couldn't even see her on the horizon yet.

A thunderous roar let me know she was indeed on her way though.

While I was distracted, Kala took the opportunity to attack. She barreled into me, and my own fire spread across my body. She produced her own flames and dark embers set my skin and wings alight.

I roared in anger, too furious to show that she had indeed caused me pain. "White fire!"  
The flames, whether black or red, immediately turned white. The burning sensation quickly melted away as the fire now healed the damage it had done.

Kala looked far beyond angry as her own attack turned against her, but she quickly gathered herself again and called up more power from deep within herself.

Keket finally reached us and I narrowly missed her talon's grasp. Her long tail lashed out, cracking at my feet like a giant whip. Kala gave me a wicked grin before sending another blast of black fire straight at my head.

"Dragon Scales!" The attack harmlessly dissipated against my armor. "Fire Tornado!"

Keket lunged to grab me with her great jaws, but my attack startled her. Rearing back at the last moment, I sent the vortex straight for the giant dragon.

Kala, while I was distracted, came up on me and grabbed me with her burning hands. Her nails dug into my forearm and when I tried to wrench my hand free, she only held me tighter.

"Fire Claws!" With my free hand, I struck out, and since she was so close, there was no escaping my attack.

She flinched away, then blasted me with her own fire breath. With a roar of frustration, I gave a hard beat of my wings, pulling her down towards the earth. Kala still didn't seem like she was about to let go, so I continued.

Her hands burned at my skin, and her nails began to draw blood she was holding me so tightly. Once we were just seconds away from the ground, Kala seemed to realize what I was doing. She tried to let go, but I grabbed her by the collar. Snapping my wings closed, I completed a full flip, building more momentum before slamming the woman head first into the stony mountainside.

Keket wailed for Kala, and jumped through the fire to get at me. She was unable to though as Sooleawa had finally arrived.

A warning shot through my head, and with a single beat of my wings, I sailed away from Kala and Keket just in time to avoid an icy blast from Sooleawa's jaws. With a resonating roar, the silver dragon crashed into the black giant, antlers and claws tearing at Keket's chest and neck.

She hissed, fury evident in her red eyes, and I made sure to steer clear of the two battling behemoths while waiting for Kala to strike again.

She slowly gathered herself up, standing shakily and allowing blood to run down her face and into her mouth. With a terrible roar, Kala launched herself at me again. I readied my shield spell again as she launched another black fire spell from her fingertips.

Unlike her normal spells though, it twisted and morphed into the shape of a dragon. A frighteningly familiar dragon.

A terrible realization struck me, but I had no time to dwell on it. Kala had released her dragon, and even though I attempted to escape into the air, it followed my every move. Eventually, I grew tired of running and summoned my own dragon.

My fury bubbled over. I could not tolerate it any more. Rage constricted my throat, and my eyes narrowed as an unholy roar ripped through my body.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The two fiery figures crashed against each other, biting and clawing at each other's long bodies. Terrible cries echoed from their fiery throats as the dragons battled. Bloom's frustration and fury only grew stronger, feeding the flames and making her own dragon grow larger. Kala echoed her frustration with a terrible roar, forcing more power from her body and into hers.

The mountain winds whipped up as Sooleawa and Keket tore apart the ground with their blasts of fire and ice. The two monstrous flaming dragons continued to grow and thrash about, breaking apart the ground beneath them and sending powerful beams of energy that tore through rock and trees like it was nothing but sand.

Though the silver mountains were being utterly destroyed around them, all Bloom could focus on was Kala. With her powers still locked against Kala's, she couldn't spare any magic to fight. She could spare her fists though. Using the last bit of strength in her wings, Bloom sent herself sailing at Kala.

The dark haired girl still seemed surprised even as Bloom's fist cracked into her jaw. There was no show of pain, but the shock gave Bloom enough time to strike again. Instead of the violet eyed girl's face, she aimed for her throat. A single blow would hopefully take her breath away long enough for Bloom's dragon to get ahead, but if she hit hard enough, she might be able to end the fight right then and there.

Bloom's fist did hit its mark, but something strange happened. As Kala fell backwards, her shape flickered. Instead of the tall, evil eyed woman, a young child no older than eight took her place for the blink of an eye.

Kala hit the snow hard, but expertly rolled away while Bloom was distracted. She hissed, holding her throat and staggering backwards, trying desperately to breathe once again. Part of Bloom's mind finally tore away from her focused onslaught. Curiosity drove her closer, and Kala scrambled away, no longer able to stay on her feet as she fought for a breath.

Something was wrong here. Something unnatural that had been long hidden by Kala's dark powers. Bloom reached out to her, trying to search for answers through whatever link they shared, but the woman pushed her back. Lunging forwards, Bloom roared at the audacity Kala had for rejecting her mind.

A strange feeling echoed through her gut, and a familiar warmth spread through her body. Reaching out her hand, Bloom mustered the strength to direct the power to Kala. The somewhat conscious part of her mind questioned the strange magic that flowed to her fingertips, but the words solidified her actions.

"Reveal to me your past!" Bloom commanded. Golden light shot through Kala's chest, and she let out a soundless wail before stumbling backwards off a large stone.

She tumbled to the ground, but before Bloom could follow and try again, Keket came to her partner's defense. Keket bore down on the fairy of fire, raising her terrible talons to strike down the guardian of the dragon fire, but Sooleawa didn't let her.

Lowering her antlers, the silver dragon crashed into the Obsidian Nightwing's side. Keket howled in pain as the points dug deep into her side. Throwing up her head, Sooleawa threw the black dragon to the side and out of Bloom's way.

Bloom pursued Kala over the stones and snow, taking a terrible amount of pleasure at how she scrambled away like a wounded rat. The golden fire still flickered on her fingertips, ready to be cast out once again at Bloom's direction.

Kala finally managed to crawl to her feet before backing to the very edge of a cliff. Raising her hands, Bloom fired the spell again.

Blood cascaded down Kala's face, wounds from the fall and a bloody nose and mouth from Bloom's savage punch dyed the terrible woman's grin red. Her violet eyes glowed dangerously, and just as the spell was about to reach her, Kala simply fell backwards.

A deep roar turned Bloom's attention, and she only just managed to jump out of the way as the black fire dragon scooped up its creator and carried her away. With a single thought, Bloom's own dragon swooped down and picked her up as well. Settling in the comfortable flames of the dragon's chest, Bloom prepared to continue the battle with her magic once again.

Bloom barely had any time to gather strength though as the dark dragon rushed her. Its fiery jaws locked around her dragon's neck. Her body responded without a thought, twisting away and forcing its back spines to tear into the other fiery dragon's side.

With no nerves to feel pain, the two flame forged dragons attempted to tear each other apart. This form of battling was a lot less physically draining, but Bloom's power was fading fast. Through the flames of the dark dragon, she could see a similar exhaustion on Kala's face.

"Sooleawa!" Bloom called to her partner. The silver dragon instantly responded, pulling away from Keket and launching up towards her.

As she grew closer, Sooleawa's body dissipated, turning from flesh and bone to pure power that flowed into Bloom's dragon, empowering it and giving it a much more solidified body.

With this new burst of energy, Bloom directed her dragon to pull closer. Kala quickly called her own partner as well, the black dragon's body quickly liquefying and surging up towards the dark woman.

Bloom had to act fast. Her pulse beat hard within herself as she climbed up her dragon's throat. The two dragons locked claws and bit at each other. Just as Keket's energy began to merge with Kala's dragon, Bloom burst from her dragon's mouth. Diving into the violet and black flames was like diving into Hell itself. Her skin burned and the terrible fire ate away at her soul.

Kala was very surprised by Bloom's sudden appearance, but there was nowhere to run. She tried to pull away, pulling Keket's red power to her defense, but it was too late.

Reaching out as if her hands had claws, Bloom grabbed onto Kala, her nails locking deep into her arms. With her last ounce of strength, Bloom called out a final spell.

"Dragon's Bane!"

There was a flash of white, followed by a blinding flurry of stars and flames. The battle had finally concluded. Sooleawa and Keket were blasted back into their original forms and sent sailing into the snowy mountains below. Ash slowly fluttered down on their heads as they slept, all of their powers completely spent.

Not long after, a portal opened nearby. The rest of the Winx along with their partners, Daphne and the Specialists jumped through. They called for their friend. Searching desperately for the red headed Guardian of the Dragon Flame. Sooleawa was easy to find, but after some time, the large group gave up trying to rouse her from such a deep slumber.

Stella was close to tears after over two hours of searching. "Where is she?"

Alake gently comforted her as they flew back to the group. Daphne had summoned the other guardians of the great dragon in order to try and track down the missing dragon queen. Stella was anxious to find out if their magical search had yielded any results.

Stella and Alake arrived the last out of all the others, the light fairy just wanting to search for a little while longer until her partner finally kept flying back to the others without asking her opinion.

When they landed, they found Daphne on the ground, cradled by Thoren as the other girls sought the comfort of their boyfriends and dragons. Sky stood away from the group, knelt in the snow with his back to everyone.

Stella didn't need an explanation when she landed, but received one anyways from the head guardian.

"The Dragon Flame has completely vanished from Magix. It appears that Bloom did not lose the fight, but did not win either."


	26. Guardian of Magix

**WinxClubBloom6-** Thanks, and I hope you enjoy the last chapter of Dragon Soul 2: Guardians

 **Guest-** __I think I have some explaining to do. I found a comic some time ago where there were "guardians of the dragon flame" who lived in Domino and kept the dragon fire safe. Daphne was one of them and I decided to throw that in for whatever reason but I don't think I explained it very well. Sorry if I confused you guys.

 **Bloom**

I opened my eyes and was greeted with Kala. We were both sitting on our knees, just three feet away from each other. Behind her, her dark dragon of fire watched my own dragon carefully. We were in the star nursery, sitting just above one of the clusters of celestial gasses.

My attack had teleported us here, just like it did when I fought Eraklyon. Man, that battle felt like it had happened ages ago. Just moments before it, I had met Kala for the first time. She had loomed over my battered body, trying to decide if that was the time to tear my throat out. It was. I wouldn't have been able to win in such a state, blind, wounded, and completely confused by her presence.

She had misjudged the situation. Neither of us were as strong as we are now. If we had all of this power back then, she would have been able to sense how weak I was. Oh, how I had wondered who she was and why she triggered such a terrible response from somewhere deep within me, and the answer was plain as day.

The Great Dragon was a being of good. From her fiery breath came the universe and all life within it. The idea had never seemed odd to me. I simply accepted it as fact and moved on. Now, something Guardian Solaria said long ago came back to me.

" _Because then the universe would be even more unbalanced than before. Mother already has Eraklyon's orb. Kala has no orb. Good and evil will not be balanced if mother gets both."_

Valtor, a being of darkness, was born after three witches corrupted an ember from my Dragon Flame. His heart was molded and broken until nothing could ever even hope to turn it back.

Kala's power was evil and angry, similar to Valtor's, yet also completely different. And while I understood why it was different, there were several gaps that needed to be filled. Feeling the pull of power in my stomach again, I reached out my hand. "Let's try this again. Reveal your past to _me_."

Golden light streamed from my fingertips, and this time, Kala did not fight back. She allowed the power to flow through herself, and her memories washed over me as she finally let down her disguise.

 _Kala appeared to be eleven at this point. If it weren't for the spell, I never would have guessed it was her. Her hair was platinum blonde and her bright blue eyes were sparkling with a delight and happiness that she had never seen in the woman before._

 _There was no malice in this girl's body, so what had caused such a drastic change?_

 _Bloom saw memories of Kala and her father. Aaron obviously treasured his daughter, often abandoning projects if they took him too far away from his child. Seeing their happiness and love for one another reminded me of my own father. Though he had adopted me, he treated me as if I was his own. I will forever be grateful for his love and protection. Kala probably feels, or at least felt, the same way._

 _After seeing several small flashes of memory, Bloom felt that Kala was holding something back. Annoyed that she was still trying to keep things from me, I pressed more power into my spell and literally tore the memory out of her._

 _Kala was descending down the basement staircase to find her father, but when she finally could see him, she found he wasn't alone. A younger Argus two other men were standing alongside him next to a great black urn. Even through the young girl's memories, I could feel the urn practically bleeding dark power._

 _A dark power I recognized._

 _As fragments of the memory continued, I could sense Kala growing to hate the men and the urn. It consumed all of her father's time. He rarely left their home, only coming up to cook meals though he didn't eat with her._

 _One day, Aaron had to leave the house to find some tools and Kala snuck down into the basement. She quickly found the urn and began to curiously examine it. Going over to one of her father's computers, she quickly discovered all that her father had learned- which wasn't much._

 _The men had come to Aaron with the legendary_ _ **Urn of Darkness**_ _from her mother's homeworld. Honrian. Curiosity peaked, she scanned over the little bit of data that had been gathered, which she didn't understand, before going back to explore the Urn._

 _On the sides of the urn were finely etched golden drawings. Depictions of the great dragon and_

" _Kala?" Bloom heard her father call out from the front door. She could sense Kala wanted to run to him, but a new thought entered the young girl's mind._

 _There was a wisp of a voice. A black snarl that beckoned Kala closer to the Urn. Her father's voice turned to a far away echo as Kala's small hands touched the sides of the urn._

 _She flinched at the evil energy that tickled her skin, and my own hands suddenly grew cold. The golden images slowly began to move. The great dragon swirled around the black face of the Urn, circling Kala's hands gracefully._

 _Before her eyes, the golden dragon split into two. The gold changing to a metallic red and purple that circled her hands individually. Only seconds later, the red dragon faded away, leaving only the purple dragon who abandoned her hand and began to circle the top of the Urn, coaxing Kala to open it._

 _I winced as the young girl followed the dragon's guidance and opened grasped the lid of the Urn._

" _Kala, don't!" Her father had found her in the basement, and threw himself forwards to stop her, but it was too late._

 _The black dragon burst from the urn in all of it's terrible glory. With a horrifying screech, it dove down into Kala's small body._

 _I winced as the poor child's body convulse and spasm as the evil presence invaded her body. Her mouth was wide open in a soundless wail and her eyes were screwed shut. Moments later, she fell limp. Aaron sobbed out his daughter's name and collapsed down to her side._

That was where the memory ended, and I returned to the star nursery, now with this young Kala sitting before me.

"I didn't know." Her young voice spoke. "I didn't know all of this would happen."

Her face collapsed as she began to cry. I crawled forwards and gathered the child in my arms. "Of course you didn't. How could you have known?"

"I'm so sorry!" She sobbed, and I held her tighter.

"It's okay now. You're free." I whispered to her.

We sat like that for a while, and once she had calmed, she moved back. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she looked up to me. "You've won the battle. The dark dragon fire and all of the power I collected is yours."

There was a sadness in her voice, and I knew why. "But you'll die."

"I've been dead for a long time, Bloom." She answered with a choked laugh/ "I've been a prisoner in my own body for ten years now, and all I've ever wanted was to be free of her. She killed me that day, the day I freed her from the Urn. But she needed me to survive in this world. My body stopped growing naturally, so the dark dragon made me grow so it wouldn't seem suspicious."

I understood. Such a power cannot exist except within a host. The Urn had kept the dark dragon fire contained and safe for thousands of years, and once it was free, it needed something to possess so it wouldn't dissipate into the air.

"Kala, I won't kill you. After all you've been through, you deserve a second chance." I argued.

"No, I don't. I released evil into Magix. I killed all the guardians by stealing their powers." She avoided my eyes. "I'm the reason the shadow's coming."

"No, _you_ aren't. You said it yourself. You were a prisoner in your own body! There has to be something we can do."

Kala sniffed and wiped her nose on her torn sleeve. Her sad blue eyes locked with mine and she smiled. "Inferno Bloom, I owe you so much more than I can ever give you. I give you the Dark Dragon fire, and the powers of the Guardians. May they ready you for the battle ahead."

And with that, the Black dragon lunged towards me. I stood quickly, startled, and cried out as the power pierced through my chest. I fell to my knees as my throat constricted. The powers of the Guardians were heavy with energy, but this was an entirely new weight. I could feel all of the malice and malevolence tear through my body as well as the powers of the Guardians that I couldn't save meld with my own flame.

My fire reacted poorly with the black fire that settled in my chest. The two flared at each other, refusing to meld and blend their powers into one.

Once I gathered myself against the pain of the immense energy, I looked back to Kala, who had collapsed before me.

"No!" I cried, pulling myself to her side.

I placed my ear to her chest, and heard nothing. Her pretty blue eyes were glazed, staring straight up into the abyss of starts. Anger burned in my chest. This wasn't fair. Kala had suffered for so long… and now this? No, I wasn't going to let her life end before it had a chance to begin!

Deep within me, I heard that strange voice speak. _Together._

The black dragon had reformed behind me hovering near my original dragon. I turned to them. "Help me save her!"

Both dragons nodded slowly. Their powers stopped bickering in my chest for a moment, working as one towards a common goal.

Words came to me as I turned back to Kala.

Placing one hand over her chest and the other hovering over her head, I spoke. "By the power of Domino, son of Inferno, melt away the wounds and forge a body that was stronger than before!"

Domino's power surged through me and erupted from my hands. The liquid fire coursed over Kala's body, healing her wounds from our fight and strengthening her body to prepare it to face a world without the dark dragon fire.

Once I sensed that all that could be done was done, I called out again. "By the power of Andros, son of Inferno, course your power through these still veins and pulse movement back into this girl!"

Blue morphix bled out of my hands and seeped into Kala's skin. I could sense her circulation and body functions returning.

I recited the next words quickly while Andros' powers were still working. "By the power of Linphea, daughter of Inferno, breathe life back into this body. Save her from the flame as it is not her time!"

I couldn't keep tears from my eyes as Kala began to breathe again. "By the power of Zenith, daughter of Infero, return energy to her! Give her the power to move on her own power and learn whatever she desires!"

Before the yellow-green glow dissipated from my hands, purple lightning shot from my fingertips and wrapped around Kala's body.

"By the power of Melody, daughter of Inferno, return emotion to her body and mind! Allow her to love and be loved again!"

A wind whipped up and I excitedly called out the next words.

"By the power of Solaria, son of Inferno, return balance to her body and mind! Give her the equilibrium that the entire universe desires!"

A blinding light flooded the star nursery.

 **Stella**

Marion was just as inconsolable as Daphne was when we returned to the castle. Argus and Aaron were waiting in chains by the throne as we entered. Argus was red with fury and embarrassment at the situation he was in, but when we mentioned that both Kala and Bloom were gone from the universe, Aaron let out a ragged sob.

None of us paid attention to him though. Brandon held me tightly and Alake kept close as we watched the family mourn the loss of their youngest member together.

"I never got the chance to tell her…" Daphne whimpered against Thoren's chest.

"Tell her?" Oritel looked over to his daughter, with tears in his eyes.

"I was going to tell all of you tonight…" Daphne's hand fell from Thoren's chest and rested against her belly.

All of us gasped, and Daphne couldn't finished her sentence. She didn't need to though. We all understood.

Desperate for some sort of explanation, I turned to Solaria, who had fallen quiet during all of this. "How could this have happened?!"

"Fret not, my dear." The silver voice spoke.

"Mother Bloom is not lost." The golden voice finished.

A lump formed in my throat. "What do you mean?"

"Focus." The two voices said together.

Closing my eyes, I pulled my powers together with Solaria's and felt something familiar in the distance. Something that was growing rapidly closer.

Abandoning Brandon and the group, and ran for the courtyard. The halls were a blur as disbelieving tears filled my eyes. I threw myself against the doors, flinging them open as Alake and Brandon called after me.

I tripped over myself as I flew down the steps, just barely recovering and keeping myself from falling the rest of the way down. Once the darkening sky was above me, I looked about wildly.

I sensed the presence again coming from the north, and I stifled a sob as two large shapes came into view on the horizon.

Sooleawa and Keket let out their powerful roars in sync to announce their return to the castle. It took only a few moments for everyone else to join me at the courtyard as well.

As Sooleawa prepared to land, I saw a familiar flash of red seated upon the great dragon's back, right between her wings.

When the silver dragon landed, Keket quickly followed suit as Bloom slid off her partner's back.

"Bloom!" We all cried, but the bundle in her arm stopped us from tackling her with a hug.

"Where's Aaron?" Bloom asked, looking down at the young girl cradled in her arms.

Oritel sent one of the guards to go retrieve the man while we bombarded Bloom with questions.

"But how?" One of the guardian fairies asked. "The dragon flame was gone from the universe!"

"You're not wrong." Bloom gave us a tired smile. "My attack sent us to the star nursery. It's outside the Magix dimension."

When the guard came back with the man, tears had stained his face and his eyes had turned a terrible red from crying. When he saw the girl in Bloom's arms though, disbelief was written all over his face.

He sobbed again as the girl let out a sigh in her sleep. "Kala, oh my Kala!"

He ran to Bloom's side even though his arms were still bound behind his back. Kneeling down, Bloom rested the girl on the ground and used her magic to free him. Aaron gathered up the small girl in his arms and held her tightly as he cried.

Finally, the girl awoke. "…Papa?"

The two embraced and Bloom stepped away. The girl, Kala, looked back to her. "Thank you, Bloom."

Bloom returned her smile then looked to us. "I'll explain later."

 **Bloom**

The next morning, the girls, the dragons, and the guys gathered in my room.

"So, now what?" Stella asked. "We've gotten all of the Dragon Orbs, Kala's not a threat anymore, and Argus has finally been captured, but for whatever reason I feel like there's something more to come."

"That's because there is." I walked over to my balcony. Sooleawa and Keket were resting peacefully just outside the gardens, still recovering from their battle. One of the lumps in my stomach tightened.

 _Black clouds enveloped Magix. Lightning crackled in the skies as armored humanoid like creatures swarmed through portals._ I shook my head, trying to clear away the vision.

"Kala wasn't the darkness I'm supposed to be preparing for, and I feel that it's coming soon."

"Well, the dragon flame's pretty much complete now." Daphne offered. "You have the black fire, your fire, and all of the orbs and inborn powers from the Guardians. There isn't a being in Magix that can rival your power now.

My teeth gritted at the reminder. What I hadn't told any of them was the fact that the two flames were not fond of each other. The two dragons were locked in a constant battle in my chest, and I could feel that it was slowly tearing my body apart, worsening my current exhaustion. With a sigh, I turned to my friends and family.

"That may be so, but this shadow won't be easy to defeat, even for me. I'll need all of your help. And probably more."

They all exchanged worried glances, but Sky stood and moved next to me. He placed a hand on my shoulder. "Whatever's coming, we can face this together."

He turned to the others, who all nodded in agreement. I gave them a weak smile before turning to Daphne. "I know. We've got the future to think about."

She smiled and placed a hand over her stomach.

Stella jumped up. "Come on, guys! We've got a lot to do, but whatever comes next, we'll be ready. I know it!"

She placed her hand out, palm down. Understanding what she was doing, the others stood and placed their hands over hers until I was the only one left.

Silent tears fell from my eyes as I added my own hand over top of theirs. "You're right. We'll beat whatever comes _together_."


	27. thank you

The second part of Dragon Soul, my second story ever, is finally complete. My God it's taken a while, but I can't thank you all enough for sticking around. I started planning this story when I was in freaking _seventh grade_ , posted the first chapter my freshman year of high school, and now act two has wrapped up and I am a freshman in college.

I swear part three isn't going to take nearly as long to finish as the other two parts. And you guys can hold me to that.

Also, to any of those who are interested in the stories I have left behind, I will be taking a break from Dragon Soul for a few months in order to put some time in on them and also keeping up with my other stories, and also to hopefully prewrite some pt 3 chapters to keep up a little bit of a backlog in order to keep from missing postdates. As soon as Dragon Soul completely wraps up, I will be placing half of my full attention on those other stories that I have left behind.

Once again, thanks to everyone who took the time to read this monstrosity of a story. Thanks to everyone who followed/ favorited the story, and a **Special** __thanks to everyone who commented.

Now, some responses to the comment(s) on the last chapter

 **Guest** \- Thanks! I don't exactly want to comment on exactly what will be happening to Bloom as it would be a _super_ spoiler for the next part, but I hope you decide to stick around till the end!


End file.
